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The legacy of Joel Jackson’s work will go on for generations

November 1, 2022 By B.C. Manion

It’s fair to say that visitors to Lettuce Lake Conservation Park, at 6920 E. Fletcher Ave., in Hillsborough County, enjoy myriad aspects of its offerings.

Some like to hike.

Others, to watch birds.

Joel Jackson stands near the sign that signifies the nature center at Lettuce Lake Conservation Park has been renamed in his honor. (B.C. Manion)

Some are there to check out the native plants and flowers.

Still others find pleasure in climbing to the top of the observation tower to gaze at the scenic views.

Families go there to picnic.

School children take field trips there, to learn.

Some visitors enjoy a stroll, or jog, along the 1.25-mile paved trail.

These are the kinds of things that Joel Jackson envisioned when he sat down to design the park, which marked its 40th year of operations in October.

Joel Jackson captured this image of an osprey in flight at Lettuce Lake Conservation Park, which offers plenty of options for visitors, that include bird-watching, hiking, picnicking and immersing oneself in the beauty of nature. (Courtesy of Joel Jackson)

“I had three objectives, when I designed this park,” Jackson said, in a recent interview.

“One, was to make it an interesting and enjoyable place to come visit and experience nature.

“No. 2, was environmental education.

“And three, (was to preserve it) for future generations,” Jackson said.

He started planning the conservation park, in northeast Hillsborough County, from scratch.

“There was no park here at all. It was just a piece of land. So, I had a blank slate here, which was very exciting to me,” Jackson said.

You might catch a view of an alligator, during a visit to Lettuce Lake Conservation Park, at 6920 E. Fletcher Ave., in Hillsborough County. (Courtesy of Joel Jackson)

Jackson paid attention to every detail: How the land would drain, where the parking should go, the amenities that would appeal to people of different ages and with diverse interests.

He wanted to be sure this was a true nature park. The paths should meander. The parking lots should be small, situated in different spots around the landscape.

Indeed, it is a nature park.

The Hillsborough River runs through it, and more than half of its acreage lies in the natural flood plain, which consists of a hardwood swamp forest.

The rest of the park features hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods plant communities.

There are wooded picnic areas and playgrounds, a paved 1.5-mile exercise trail and a 3,500-foot boardwalk, with an observation tower.

Originally, the park called for 117 acres.

Jackson said that was too small, so he secured additional funds that enabled the park size to be doubled.

The funding source for that land also required it to be conserved, in perpetuity.

“This land, for hundreds of years, should still be here,” Jackson said.

Jackson honored
The design of Lettuce Lake Conservation Park is just one of many contributions Jackson made during his career, which included stints with the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County.

Volunteers nurture plants and remove invasive species at Lettuce Lake Conservation Park, in Hillsborough County. Shown here from left: Richard Rauscher, Tina Patterson and Merrilee Wallbrunn. (Courtesy of Joel Jackson)

He was honored on Aug. 31, in a special ceremony, where the nature center at Lettuce Lake Park was renamed the Joel E. Jackson Nature Center.

Hillsborough County Administrator Bonnie Wise hosted the celebration, which included remarks from Jack Berlin, of the parks and conservation board, and from Hillsborough County commissioners Harry Cohen and Mariella Smith.

Their comments were recorded in audio files by Hillsborough County staff, provided at the request of The Laker/Lutz News.

“His accomplishments are a testament to his unwavering service to Hillsborough County, its residents and especially, its natural resources,” Wise said, during the ceremony.

Berlin told those gathered: “It would take hours to go over this man’s legacy. “

Even now, Berlin said: “He volunteers more hours than I do. Still, he wows me with his vision.

“What he’s done for Hillsborough County conservation and the regional parks, and everything he’s done — is permanent. It will be here for our kids, our grandkids, our grandkids’ grandkids,” Berlin said.

Commissioner Cohen said he became acquainted with Lettuce Lake Conservation Park when he joined the county’s hiking spree last year.

A look at a paved trail at Lettuce Lake Conservation Park. The trail meanders under a canopy of ancient oaks. (Courtesy of Joel Jackson)

“As a result, I went from park to park on the different hikes. One Sunday afternoon, I came out here to Lettuce Lake Park, and I have to tell you, I was blown away.

“I had never been here before and I started coming back. And, I didn’t end up finishing the hiking spree mainly because I just kept coming back to Lettuce Lake Park, over and over and over again,” Cohen said.

He described the park’s many attributes, including its abundant wildlife.

“You can get a close look at some of the area’s most striking birds, the reptiles, mammals and insects, as well as colorful flowers and plants,” Cohen said.

“You can attend a birding walk, hosted by the Tampa Audubon Society, or a native plant tour, led by the Suncoast Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society,” Cohen added.

The nature center, which now bears Jackson’s name, offers visitors a chance to learn about all of the flora and fauna.

“This center is a fantastic place to take children to show them the importance of the environment and just to have fun,” Cohen said

Jackson’s vision has left a lasting mark
Commissioner Smith lavished praise upon Jackson’s many contributions to the region’s quality of life.

“It’s a day of celebration for someone who has dedicated his life to our county’s parks and preserves, and then has continued volunteering, even in retirement, to protecting our environment and helping people enjoy our natural resources.

The Tampa Audubon Society offers birding walks at Lettuce Lake Conservation Park, at 6920 E. Fletcher Ave. Call 813-987-6204 for more information. (Courtesy of Joel Jackson)

“Mr. Jackson has been an influential and distinguished leader of the Hillsborough County Conservation movement since 1969, when he became a founding member of Save Our Bay. This group was formed to prevent the proposed dredging and filling of nearly 2,000 acres along the Upper Tampa Bay shoreline.

“That Save Our Bay group kickstarted the local environmental movement that gave birth to our Agency on Bay Management and went on to galvanize efforts to protect Tampa Bay, and our wetlands and natural resources.

“In the 1970s, Mr. Jackson became a parks and recreation planner for the City of Tampa. After several years in this role, he was hired by Hillsborough County to become our parks planning section manager, which was a tremendous gain for our county.

“Ten years before we had an ELAPP (Environmental Lands and Acquisition Protection Program) to preserve our environmental lands, this county had a parks bond program. Joel Jackson oversaw that program, and under his very wise stewardship, we gained several large, beautiful parks that preserve natural areas — keeping what was special and unique about each place, while providing access and facilities to the public to enjoy them.

Joel Jackson captured this image of a black-crowned night heron at Lettuce Lake Conservation Park. It’s one of many species of birds and other wildlife that can be observed at the park. (Courtesy of Joel Jackson)

“Between 1977 and 1983, Mr. Jackson managed that $10 million parks bond program. You could do a lot with $10 million back then.

“It established three new natural resource bay parks, Upper Tampa Bay Park, Lettuce Lake (Conservation) Park and Alderman’s Ford (Nature Preserve) and renovated several others, including E.G. Simmons (Conservation Park), Eureka Springs (Conservation Park) and Edward Medard (Conservation) Park, and these are all natural wonders. They’re spread throughout the county and each one is a gem, wonderfully well-planned by Joel Jackson, to make the most of its own special characteristics and to share these marvelous places with the public.

“During this time, it became clear to Mr. Jackson that public land acquisition was one of the few ways to ensure long-term protection of our valuable, natural lands.

“His efforts to preserve the 1,500-acre Bower tract from development in the early 1980s played a key role in the creation of Hillsborough County’s Environmental Lands and Acquisition and Protection Program, that’s ELAPP.”

The ELAPP program became a model for the entire state of Florida, she said.

“Mr. Jackson, congratulations. Your name is synonymous with our beautiful parks and conservation lands, and renaming this nature center here at Lettuce Lake is a perfect tribute to you that will certainly inspire others throughout the years,” Smith said.

Jackson was clearly moved by the outpouring of appreciation of his work, and by the people who showed up to honor him.

“I’m really overwhelmed today,” he said at the event.

In a later interview, he said, he is touched by the nature center being renamed in his honor, as well as by the ceremony and accolades.

“I’m thrilled with it,” Jackson said. “I didn’t ask for this, but I certainly appreciate it, and Barbara (his wife of 53 years) and I, will cherish it for the rest of our lives.”

About Lettuce Lake Conservation Park
What: Lettuce Lake Conservation Park, a 240-acre park operated by Hillsborough County
Where: 6920 E. Fletcher Ave., just outside the Tampa city limits, between Interstate 275 and the University of South Florida
Cost: Admission is $2 per vehicle; up to eight people per vehicle.
When: The park is open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., in the spring and summer; 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., in the fall and winter.
Details: Lettuce Lake Conservation Park is one of Hillsborough’s most visited parks. The Hillsborough River runs through it, and more than half of the park’s property lies in the natural flood plain of the river, consisting of a hardwood swamp forest.
The rest of the park consists of hardwood hammocks and pine flatwoods plant communities.
The park features wooded picnic areas and playgrounds, a 1.25-mile paved exercise trail and 3,500-foot boardwalk with an observation tower.
Canoe and kayaks rentals are available.
Info: Call 813-987-6204.

Published November 02, 2022

A glowing good time

October 25, 2022 By Mike Camunas

Katie Lee, of Land O’ Lakes, poses for a cute picture for her mom, Tran Cam, at the inaugural Jack-O’-Lantern Festival the Pasco County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources department hosted at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex on Oct. 21. The event featured candy, bounce houses, a costume contest and a pumpkin-carving contest. (Mike Camunas)

The inaugural Jack-O’-Lantern Festival, held on a cool and breezy night at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, attracted hundreds of children, parents and adults dressed in all sorts of creative costumes.

The Oct. 21 event featured candy, bounce houses and scores of jack-o’-lanterns.

The event was hosted by the Pasco County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources department.

And, it was the idea of Lindsay Janssen, a recreation leader. She said her hometown in Connecticut had a similar event, so she wanted to get one started in Pasco County.

Several local vendors had small booths that passed out candy to children in costumes, as festival-workers collected about a dozen jack-o’-lanterns that were entered in the carving contest. They also rounded up those willing to compete in the costume contest.

The family of Mike, Michelle, Adalynn and Hasel Barthel won first prize in the costume contest thanks to their Game of Thrones-themed family costumes. They were awarded passes to the Great Explorations Children’s Museum in St. Petersburg.

The Del Valle family — Pablo, Lene and Riley — won the pumpkin-carving contest and received tickets to Busch Gardens.

“I was glad we were able to do something different here in Pasco and something for Halloween,” Janssen said of the event. “We had a great turnout and a great time, and we hope we can make it a yearly event.”

Published October 26, 2022

Land O’ Lakes resident Tori Hobbs, right, opens a peanut butter cup much to the delight of her daughter, Emmie, at the Jack-O’-Lantern Festival.

While at the Jack-O’-Lantern Festival, Wesley Chapel resident Adriana Aparicio gets her face painted for the activities that included trick-or-treating, bounce houses and a costume contest.

The winning jack-o’-lantern in the contest was this one from the Del Valle family, of a larger pumpkin devouring a smaller, frightened pumpkin.

The Joker, a.k.a. Caleb Cordeiro, swears he doesn’t know what happened to Batman to Robin, a.k.a. Michaela Cordeiro, while waiting to be judged during the costume contest at the Jack-O’-Lantern Festival. The pair came in second place in the contest.

Lucas Galan, left, and his brother, Elliot, make their way out of an inflatable bouncy maze at the Jack-O’-Lantern Festival at Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex.

Kristen Donley, of Land O’ Lakes, and her son, Parker, go full Star Wars as Rey and Boba Fett, respectively, at the Jack-O’-Lantern Festival.

A Game of Thrones-themed family — from left: Michelle Barthel, Mike, Adalynn and Hasel — were a hit at the Jack-O’-Lantern Festival at Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, taking home first place in the costume contest.

Land O’ Lakes trick-or-treater Olivia Rose takes some candy at the inaugural Jack-O’-Lantern Festival the Pasco County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources department hosted at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex on Oct. 21.

Jace Craft, of Land O’ Lakes, and his young son, Cole, are ‘loveable losers,’ or Chicago Cubs fans, at the Jack-O’-Lantern Festival.

Little Lutz monkey Brayden Burney, front, gets candy during the Jack-O’-Lantern Festival, while his brother and fellow monkey, Blayne, looks on and their mom, Jessica Greir, is ‘going bananas’ with smiles and fun.

‘Never a more exciting time to be in Pasco,’ appraiser says

October 18, 2022 By B.C. Manion

Pasco County Property Appraiser Mike Wells recently shared an informative look at the county’s broadening tax base, during a gathering of the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce.

“I’ve got to be honest. There has never been a more exciting time to live in Pasco County, to be part of Pasco County,” said Wells, who served on the Pasco County Commission before being elected to his current post.

His comments came during a Sept. 20 luncheon, well before Hurricane Ian caused untold damage to communities in southwest Florida and continued its path of destruction across the state and into South Carolina.

Pasco Property Appraiser Mike Wells said Pasco County’s property base has been diversifying in recent years, as the county attracts more employers. (File)

Wells provided a brief recap of how Pasco has been evolving, and how it has become part of the discussion when companies consider moving to the Tampa Bay region.

“The team of commissioners and myself did a great job for six years to help the landscape get where it is today, quite frankly.

“We used to be a bedroom community. That’s all we were. All we did was build houses, quite frankly,” Wells said.

The vast majority of Pasco’s developed parcels remain residential, but companies are increasingly aware of what Pasco has to offer, he said.

Pasco needs a diverse tax base to generate the taxes necessary to provide the services its residents need, Wells said.

In recent years it has been making progress on that front, with an influx of new companies and commercial development, Wells said.

“The companies are coming here. They know we’re open for business. A lot has to do with us working together as a region,” he said.

He thinks much of that is due to a shift in attitude about regional cooperation.

“Eight years ago, we really weren’t a team.

“When I took over commissioner in 2014 — it wasn’t ‘us,’ it wasn’t ‘we,’ — it was ‘I, Pasco County’ against Hillsborough County, against Pinellas County — trying to poach.

“Now, we actually work together as a team — what a concept, with the EDCs (economic development councils), with the chambers.

“We can all do more together — with Moffitt (Moffitt Cancer Center’s planned Pasco campus) — being an example.

“We’re close to the port, we’re close to the airport. Why would somebody not want to come up here to Pasco County? The cost of living is less,” Wells said.

Pasco has 300,000 parcels and a population of roughly 600,000, Wells said.

“Our growth is among the fastest in the state,” he added.

The county’s preliminary just value for 2022 is more than $66 billion, an increase of nearly 17%, he said. New revenue to Pasco County was roughly $90 million.

There are “exciting new projects and there’s plenty in the pipeline for years to come,” he added.

He shared a breakdown on Pasco’s businesses.

The vast majority — 86% — have 25 or fewer employees, he said.

Nearly two-thirds have been in business for more than 10 years and 43% of Pasco businesses are owned by county residents.

Future prospects look bright, too, he said. About 36% of businesses expect to add employees within the next three years.

Also, slightly more than one-third of Pasco businesses are expanding at locations within the county, or are building on new Pasco sites, he added.

Wells is a big proponent of small businesses and of local businesses, too.

It used to bother him greatly when a Pasco company would lose out to a larger business from outside the area because it had a bigger footprint and could offer to complete the work at lower costs.

The county board addressed that issue by passing a local vendor preference policy to help local companies be more competitive when vying for county business.

As Pasco moves forward, it expects to attract more employers, the property appraiser said.

He pointed to 47-million square feet of planned development in the pipeline, and 78,500 jobs.

“We have enough pre-approved permits for 75 years’ worth of houses, so they’re coming,” Wells said.

Consideration of requests for future development in the county must take into account how the projects will affect the balance Pasco is trying to achieve, Wells said.

“Every decision we make for the next acre of land is important,” Wells said.

Tampa Premium Outlets, the Simon Real Estate-owned outdoor mall located at 2300 Grand Cypress Dr., in Lutz that opened in 2015, ranks No. 2 in Pasco County, in terms of its property value, at about $84.4 million. (Mike Camunas)

Apartment construction bolsters Pasco’s tax base
Wells said he’s aware the topic of multifamily development has been controversial, but he noted: “Multifamily leads the way on new construction value for 2022, as it did last year.”

He’s aware that his former colleague Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore championed a temporary moratorium on such development.

Moore sought the temporary measure to give the county time to gather information to make sure the multifamily market isn’t being overbuilt. He warned his colleagues about the potential negative consequences in the long-term, if that happens.

The multifamily moratorium is now over, but Moore continues to push for job-generating uses, rather than apartments.

Wells said, in general, he’s not in favor of moratoriums.

“I’ve always been a proponent of the market decides — not me,” he said.

The property appraiser also noted Pasco is attracting more health care development.

“We’re seeing exciting growth, as you know in Wesley Chapel, with Orlando Health, BayCare expanding,” he said.

He also expects the county to become more competitive in attracting industrial growth.

Its access to the interstate system and to rail — along U.S. 41 and U.S. 301 — provide an advantage that not all counties enjoy, he said.

He’s particularly enthused by what lies ahead in the development of Moffitt Cancer Center’s Pasco County campus.

Moffitt’s planned 775-acre campus, larger than the footprint of downtown Tampa, is in the heart of a developing community, which will be known as Angeline, Florida.

The scale of Angeline, which is south of State Road 52, near the Suncoast Parkway, is massive. At build out, it will have tens of thousands of residents, who will live in a community that is focused on providing the latest in technology and having an emphasis on wellness.

Plans call for the ‘city’ of Angeline include high-speed internet connectivity and an extensive trail network that will enable people to get where they want to go, without having to jump into a car.

Plans call for schools, research clinics, health care facilities, a community farm and thousands of residences, ranging from apartments to luxury homes.

Moffitt’s Pasco cancer center is expected to become home to leading-edge cancer researchers.

“This will be a global center of innovation. A huge asset to our region,” Wells said.

Pasco Top 10 properties, by value
HCA Health Services of Florida: $103,156,579
Tampa Premium Outlets: $84,376,243
Lantower Seneca Tampa LLC: $81,445,912
PAC Wiregrass Ranch LLC: $79,178.815
FRMF Odessa LLC: $71,994,778
Odessa Apartments LLC: $71,477,965
Pasco Cypress Creek DST: $62,152,747
Trinity Lakes Apartment: $61,732,459
Lantower Asturia Tampa LP: $60,055,988
Addison at Sunlake LCC: $58,377.067

Top five Pasco County taxpayers
Duke Energy Florida: $513.5 million
WREC Electric: $331.4 million
HCA: $137.2
Frontier: $106.8 million
Pasco Ranch: $102.5 million

Source: Pasco County Property Appraiser Mike Wells

Published October 19, 2022

Pitching in to help victims of Hurricane Ian

October 11, 2022 By Mike Camunas

Before the rain and wind stopped, the calls started.

Before the water began receding, people were rising to the occasion.

They shared social media posts and then shared their unused supplies.

Stephanie Francis, right, and her daughter, Siena Bracciale, load up a U-Haul with generators, cases of water, food and other supplies on Sept. 30, at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, for delivery to MidWest Food Pantry in Fort Myers. Many local citizens, neighborhoods, churches, schools, businesses and organizations in Pasco County have organized donation drives and supply runs. (Mike Camunas)

They banded together to respond to fellow Floridians in need after Hurricane Ian decimated the towns of Fort Myers, Port Charlotte, Cape Coral, Bonita Springs, Sanibel and other communities on Sept. 28.

Locals citizens from across Pasco County sprang into action, donating what they could.

They organized drives, and filled cars and trucks to the brim.

They transported the supplies for the victims of the Category 4 storm that leveled homes, business, bridges and the normally tourist-filled beach towns, just a few hours south of Tampa Bay.

“I couldn’t sit back and watch — I had to help!” Wesley Chapel resident Esmeralda Morales said. “I’m new to Florida, I’ve been here for two years, and helping folks is my passion. I’ve never been down to Fort Myers and don’t know anyone there, but I know when other humans need my help.

Victoria Hawkins, of Trinity, tapes up and labels a box of supplies that was donated and taken down to Fort Myers for the victims of Hurricane Ian. (Mike Camunas)

“Watching the devastation on the news inspired me to take on this journey.”

Morales’ journey began by reaching out to her community, Union Park, to “collect whatever I could fit in my car.”

Morales and others drove down on Oct. 1. It took more than 3 ½-hours because parts of Interstate 75 had been closed, due to flooding.

When she arrived in Fort Myers, it was “heartbreaking,” she said.

“I volunteered at the ‘Safe Camp’ run by The Cajun Navy in North Fort Myers,” Morales said. “I’d walk over to cars in a 2-mile-long line and ask them how they were doing. So many said they were starving, and folks just wanted to tell their stories.

“Some simply cried and held my hand, others showed pictures of what was once their home, now a lot filled with debris. Many told me stories of how they had to swim to safety with their young children and even grandchildren.

David Steinberg, of Land O’ Lakes, organized a donation drive, and with the help of his employer, Orthopediatrics, raised $15,000 to buy 20 generators to take down in a U-Haul to Fort Myers. (Mike Camunas)

“Others,” she added with sadness, “shared that they’ll never forget the images of floating bodies they’d observed.”

By midafternoon, the donations had run out, but the need had not.

“People were crying and pleading with us for anything,” Morales said.

In the northern Land O’ Lakes community of Asbel Estates, Timothy Dowd reached out to neighbors just mere hours after it was obvious that Pasco would avoid Ian’s devastation.

Dowd rounded up 16 cases of water, 10 gallons of water, shampoo/conditioner, bars of soap, children’s clothes, linens, snacks, four bags of dog food, two bags of cat food, trash bags and Clorox wipes.

Dowd delivered the donations — which all came from Asbel Estates — to Fort Myers on Sept. 29.

“We didn’t have anything else going on and figured we might as well help with what we could,” Dowd said. “We could’ve just as easily been put in that situation and hoping for someone to bring some supplies.”

David Steinberg, who lives in the Land O’ Lakes neighborhood of Lake Padgett Estates, also pitched in. With the help of his employer, Orthopediatrics, he helped raise $15,000 to buy 20 generations to deliver in a U-Haul to Fort Myers.

Timothy Dowd, of Land O’ Lakes, collected 16 cases of water, 10 gallons of water, shampoo/conditioner, bars of soap, children’s clothes, linens, snacks, four bags of dog food, two bags of cat food, trash bags and Clorox wipes, all which were donated from citizens that live in Asbel Estates, in Land O’ Lakes. (Courtesy of Timothy Dowd)

Stephanie Francis, a Plantation Palms resident, co-coordinated the effort with Steinberg. They set up a “donation center” in the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex parking lot on Sept. 30, and received donation after donation from nearby neighbors and residents. Those contributing brought everything from leftover water cases, extra food, clothes, batteries, and paper and baby products.

“We reached out through Facebook, a little through NextDoor, and the people from the neighborhoods and beyond just kept coming up,” said Francis, who was helped loading the truck by students in the Sunlake High Key Club and players from the Florida Premier Football at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex. “We put a sign up on Collier (Boulevard) and the neighborhoods really came together and were very generous.”

Steinberg said it only took about four hours to raise the money for the generators.

“People reached out and donated without hesitation,” he said.

Esmeralda Morales, of Wesley Chapel, filled up cars to the brim with donations from her neighborhood, Union Park in Wesley Chapel. She then made the 3 ½-hour drive to Fort Myers. (Courtesy of Esmerleda Morales)

Elsewhere, others set up supply drop-offs during the week through Oct. 7, such as Sunlake Academy Math and Science in Lutz.

The school’s principal, Dr. Judy Moore, is a member of the Land O’ Lakes Rotary Club, and its district had a Hurricane Ian relief drive. The donations collected at Sunlake Academy piled up high in the school’s front lobby.

“We chose to encourage our parents to participate in a drive-through donation drop-off in our morning car line,” Moore said. “Our drive ran through (Oct. 7) and we will put it with the rest of the rotary districts collections and (drove) them down south on (Oct. 8).”

Other schools, such as Pasco High and Sunlake High, had similar weeklong drop-offs, as well.

In addition to these drop-offs, churches and businesses also held collections. Grace Family Church Land O’ Lakes had a supply collection during it services on Oct. 5, while the car dealership, Jarrett Ford in Dade City, had a “Fill The Truck” drop-off and sent it down on Oct. 6.

However, it was the Pasco County citizens that put aside both their own responsibilities and concerns to band together, and help anyway they could.

The everyday neighbors from Land O’ Lakes to Lutz, from Dade City to Zephyrhills and into Wesley Chapel all joined together to make a difference.

“They are going to need more, and now it’s going to be clean-up supplies and equipment,” said Francis, who dropped off her donations to the MidWest Food Pantry in Fort Myers.

Items still needed include “work gloves, shovels, rakes, detergent to scrub houses that took in stormwater, etc.

They anticipate the next big need will be hygiene products.

“But my hope is to do this all over again, she added. “Get another truck full and down there with community help. Because it’s the right thing to do, as their neighbors.”

Published October 12, 2022

Bring on the boos, in Brooksville

October 4, 2022 By Mike Camunas

Haunted houses spring up everywhere in October.

They’re decked out for the Halloween season and feature actors in costumes seeking scares — but they’ll be gone well before Thanksgiving.

So, why not visit what docents claim is a real haunted house?

When it comes to being haunted, some believe the attic of the May-Stringer House is the most haunted of the 14 rooms in the house built in 1855. (Mike Camunas)

Take a drive up to Brooksville and visit the May-Stringer House.

It’s the home of the Hernando Heritage Museum — oh, and also two dozen spirits — according to the people who run the place.

Whether you believe it or not, this house is widely considered one of the most haunted places in Florida.

“We’ve seen shadow figures. We’ve seen spirits walking around. Heard them talk. Smelled certain smells when we shouldn’t, so we are most definitely haunted,” the house’s volunteer coordinator Karolyn Bonnell said. “We have 23 spirits here at the house.

“Oh, and one ghost cat, too.”

So enter, if you dare, the nearly 200-year-old, four-story, seven-gable, gingerbread trim, 14-room “Painted Lady” Victorian-era home, and perhaps you’ll see a ghost.

But even if you don’t, it’ll still be Worth The Trip.

Haunted history lesson
In 1855, John L. May built the house, originally with four rooms. He lived there with his wife, Marena, and their daughters, Matilda and Annie.

John succumbed to tuberculosis three years later.

As the Civil War came and went, Marena remarried. This time to Frank Saxon.

This is the room of Jessie Mae, the child of Marena May and Frank Saxon. Marena died while giving birth to Jessie, and Jessie died three years later. It’s said their spirits haunt the house, especially Jessie. House docents and patrons have said that they have felt Jessie grab their hands or have sensed her presence.

However, Marena died giving birth to their daughter, Jessie Mae. And, Jessie Mae died, just three years later, of unknown causes.

Marena and Jessie were buried on the property, as were John and Frank and Marena’s infant son.

A small graveyard out back, is believed to be a significant source of the rumors that the May-Stringer House is haunted.

“Oh, this place is absolutely haunted,” volunteer docent Emma Dowd said.

“Sometimes, people don’t know it’s haunted,” Bonnell said. “I have to tell them before the tour. … and then some people will just leave after I tell them that.”

Both docents have seen the spirits or had some sort of encounter.

Bonnell says she’s heard Jessie Mae talk to her teddy bear in her room on the second floor.

“‘Tell me a story’ she’ll tell the bear,” Bonnell said. “While other guests have said they’ve felt like a little child grabbing their hand while in that room.”

Things in the house also seem to move on their own, such as sheets being ruffled on a bed in the master bedroom.

Many spirits have been confirmed by the Brooksville PIT (Paranormal Investigation Team), including one thought to be a former servant named Molly, and another spirit, James, who hung himself in the house.

Frank Saxon himself has been said to have been sighted, walking on the second floor balcony and smoking his pipe, as he was known to do.

“Sometimes you’ll smell the pipe smoke,” Bonnell said.

But it’s the attic that is the most haunted.

Up the stairs
All the way at the top of the house, sits the attic, at the end of a steep, winding staircase. Inside the attic, like the rest of the house, are dozens of local artifacts. In fact, there are 10,000-plus artifacts that have been donated to the museum.

However, one particular artifact stands out as being creepier than the rest.

The Trunk.

This particular item is said to be haunted itself and brought a spirit into the home. Docents call this spirt “Mr. Nasty” because of his tendency to be rude and demanding.

“Not sure if it was that particular spirit, but I have been scratched here in the house,” Dowd said. “I didn’t even realize it until later and, sure enough, it happened on a tour.”

Some other items, such as some dolls and Brooksville artifacts are considered to be haunted, but The Trunk is the item that’s seen the most paranormal activity.

In fact, it was even featured on the Travel Channel show, Kindred Spirits, during the show’s fourth season in 2020.

“Mr. Nasty, he’s usually up there in the attic,” Bonnell said.

A small graveyard sits in the back of the May-Stringer House, with Marena and Jessie Mae, as well as John May and the infant son of Frank Saxton and Marena, are buried. The graveyard helps to fuel rumors of the house being one of the most haunted places in Florida.

Ghostly gathering
The May-Stringer House has rooms devoted to specific themes such as an Elegant Dining Room, Victorian Bedrooms, Military Room, an 1880s Doctor’s Office and a 1900s Communication Room, all containing those thousands of artifacts.

The doctor’s office comes from its other long-time owner, Dr. Sheldon Stringer, who used the estate for his medical practice.

After the death of the Stringers, the house passed from one owner to another until Dr. Earl Hensley and his wife Helen sold it to The Hernando Historical Museum Association in 1980.

In 1997, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

So if you visit the house, don’t be surprised if you have a ghostly encounter.

Maybe it’ll be Mr. Nasty in the attic. Or Jessie Mae trying to hold your hand. Or maybe you’ll see Marena wandering the halls to check on guests, or Frank Saxon meandering on the balcony, with his pipe.

Tour the house, listen to the stories, and perhaps, as you leave you can ask yourself: Is this place really haunted?

That’s not for me to say.

You be the judge.

May-Stringer House
Where: 601 Museum Court, Brooksville
When: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays
Details: Visit, if you dare, one of the most haunted places in Florida. The May-Stringer House was built in 1855 and is a four-story, Victorian-era home overlooking the City of Brooksville. It is said to be the home to 23 spirits, as well as one ghost cat. Enjoy a 45-minute tour that includes the history of the house and more than 10,000 local artifacts on display. Ghost tours at night are available, too, as well as late-night group investigations.
Cost: $8 for adults, children 12 and under $5, 6 and under free.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.hernandohistoricalmuseumassoc.com/may-stringer-house

Other places with ‘haunting’ reputations
Dade City Heritage and Cultural Museum
Sulphur Springs Water Tower, Tampa
Plant Hall at the University of Tampa
Tampa Theatre
Don Cesar Hotel, St. Pete Beach
Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club
Fort Cooper State Park, Inverness

Published October 05, 2022

Hurricane Ian slams Florida; Tampa Bay region escapes wrath

September 27, 2022 By B.C. Manion

In the days leading up to Hurricane Ian’s landfall, local officials and weather experts feared a potential worst-case scenario for the Tampa Bay region. Predictions of hurricane-strength winds, record storm surge and heavy rainfall set the stage for concerns that there would be destruction of historic proportions in the Tampa Bay region. Instead — just like Hurricane Charley in 2004 — Hurricane Ian shifted to the south.

It made landfall at Cayo Costa Island at 3:05 p.m. on Sept. 28, a a Category 4 hurricane, with an estimated wind speed of 150 mph.

Footage from national and local television coverage reveals the destructive forces of Hurricane Ian, as it traveled through areas including Punta Gorda, Fort Myers, Cape Coral and other places to the south of the Tampa Bay region, and headed across the state of Florida, before it was expected to enter the Atlantic Ocean and then head toward South Carolina.

In areas within Hurricane Ian’s path, boats were carried out of marinas.

Cars and trucks floated down streets.

Roads turned into rivers.

High winds tore through mobile home parks.

Flood waters filled up houses. High winds sheared off roofs.

Trees toppled.

Those toppled trees damaged homes, cars and other properties.

At one point, millions across Florida were in the dark, as a reult of high winds that snapped utility poles and downed trees. Transformers exploded, too.

The toll that Ian took on human life was not yet known in the early afternoon hours of Sept. 29.

Locally, officials expressed gratitude that the region, for the most part, was spared.

At the same time they expressed empathy for Floridian communities that are dealing with Hurricane Ian’s destruction, and pledged to send support to help other communities reeling from the storm’s devastating impacts.

Pasco County Commission Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey shared this message in a newsletter from her office: “I am grateful the storm did not impact our County (Pasco County) like forecasted and am glad we were prepared. My thoughts and prayers are with our friends to the South. The County will be sending crews to assist with cleanup to help those who have been impacted by Ian.”

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and Hillsborough County Administrator Bonnie Wise expressed similar sentiments during their briefings.

By the morning of Sept. 29, evacuation orders were lifted in Pasco and Hillsborough counties and the city of Tampa.

Although residents were free to return to their home, officials urged them and anyone else out on the roads to be cautious and be aware of their surroundings.

At intersections where the signals aren’t working, they reminded motorists to treat them as a four-way stop.

They also urged residents to steer clear of downed power lines and to be sure to report them to the local utility company.

Regarding power outages, officials urged patience.

They also reminded anyone who is using a generator to be sure to place it outdoors and in a well-ventilated space. Inhaling fumes from a generator can be lethal.

Pasco County officials also announced that storm damage reports be made through the county’s online tool, available at MyPasco.net or click on this direct link: mypas.co/ReportDamage.

Reports can involve structural damage to homes or businesses; storm debris, including downed trees and branches; or, human needs, including food, water, clothing and shelter.

Pasco also announced that it is waiving tipping fees for storm debris through Oct. 8, at these locations:

• West Pasco Resource Recovery Facility, 14606 Hays Road, Spring Hill

• East Pasco Transfer Station, 9626 Handcart Road., Dade City (yard debris limited to three bags per household.)

Pasco sandbag disposal sites also are open to properly dispose sandbags:

• Magnolia Valley Golf Course: 7223 Massachusetts Avenue, New Port Richey

• Wesley Chapel District Park, 7727 Boyette Road, Wesley Chapel

If you have questions or concerns, contact Pasco County customer service , at 727-847-2411 or chat with us online at MyPasco.net.

Meanwhile, Pasco County Schools has announced that it expects classes to resume, as usual, on Oct. 3.

Revised September 29, 2022

Pining to express creativity

September 20, 2022 By Mike Camunas

Bringing in pine needles from the outside — some might call that person crazy.

Perhaps, a basket case.

Evelyn Sivelle, of Wesley Chapel, selects just the right pine needles needed to keep working on her basket during a class at St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church of Zephyrhills. Sivelle has been doing this arts and crafts activity for about three years and while the process of making baskets and other items can be time-consuming and meticulous, all it requires is some string and just regular pine needles from trees or the woods. (Mike Camunas)

But not for these crafty locals. They gather them to create baskets made of nothing more than everyday pine needles and colorful string.

They’re learning how to create their crafts from Rocky Boyett who teaches pine needle basketry, twice a week, free of charge, in Dade City and Zephyrhills.

“At first, it is hard, because it’s a different concept than people are used to getting their hands wrapped around,” said Boyett, a 76-year-old Vietnam veteran, who has been teaching the classes for about eight years now. “Even then, for people who have been doing craft work for years, they may catch on a little quicker than most, but still there will be a lot of trial and error.

“All I want to do is pass along how to make baskets,” Boyett added. “I’m not selling anything, I’m not making them to make money, either.”

Rocky Boyett cracks a smile as he threads string to bind a very large basket he is constructing, while teaching pine needle basketry classes at St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church of Zephyrhills.

Boyett says it takes time to learn how to stitch together pine needles with just string and a sewing needle, but there’s no right or wrong way to do it.

He teaches the basic, most commonly used “V stitch.”

The class offers step-by-step instructions.

“It does take a long time,” Boyett said. “You can’t come here for a two-to-three hour class and go home with a finished basket. It will take days, weeks, maybe even longer depending on the size of the basket.

“And it takes two stitches to make a V, and baskets, depending on the size, will have thousands of stitches,” he said.

The classes are free and some supplies are provided, but participants also need to bring some of their own materials, including sewing needles, string and, of course, lots and lots of pine needles.

“Obviously the longer the pine (needle) the better,” Boyett said. “But everyone gets it from their yards or from someone they know who has pine trees. Usually it’s best to just take them right from the tree and let them dry out, so it makes for a fairly inexpensive art form.”

Pine needle baskets are made with exactly what one thinks — pine needles, found either in the woods or taken off trees, and sometimes washed and then dried out until time for use.

Boyett’s students don’t limit themselves to making baskets. They’ve also produced pot holders, coasters, jewelry and other items.

Like Boyett, many students choose not to sell their creations. They may give some as gifts, but it turns out participants often just can’t part with their baskets.

“It is hard to let go of them,” said Wesley Chapel resident Evelyn Sivelle, who has been attending the classes for about three years. “You put in 60-plus hours of work, but it must be the satisfaction of completing one, all the time it took and how it finally looks finished that makes you just not want to sell it.”

“It’s hard to sell them,” Boyett added, “not just because of attachment, but to get a right price for it, considering how much work goes into making even the smallest of baskets. I even offered (Evelyn) $200 for one I really liked, and she won’t take it because she likes it too much.”

Others, who just started the classes and are still working on their first basket, are aware it requires patience to create something so simple, yet so intricate.

“Some people think they can come in here and learn everything in one day — nope!” new student Jan Wilson said. “I’ve been doing it just over a month now, but it took time. Finally, at one point, I turned it over and I was like, ‘Oh, I’m doing it right!’”

Pine Needle Basketry classes
When: Mondays and Thursdays at 10 a.m.
Where: On Mondays at Dade City Senior Center, 13853 15th St.; On Thursdays at St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church of Zephyrhills, 5855 16th St.
Details: Rocky Boyett, aka Dr. Sticks, teaches, free of charge, anyone who wants to learn pine needle basketry. The craft involves hours and hours of learning to sew and bind pine needles. Boyett also teaches how to make customized walking sticks and canes from outdoor branches.
Info: Call Rocky Boyett at 706-676-8318.

Published September 21, 2022

Vicky Brush, of Dade City, is all smiles as she works on a pine needle basket during a class at St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church of Zephyrhills.

Rocky Boyett, aka Dr. Sticks, helps Jan Wilson with the right technique in making a pine needle basket during a class at St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church of Zephyrhills. Wilson has been coming to the classes for about a month and has quickly gotten the hang of creating pine needle baskets, using thick sewing string.

Pine needle basketry classes meet twice a week: on Mondays at Dade City Senior Center and on Thursdays at St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church of Zephyrhills.

Rocky Boyett teaches the ‘V Stitch’ technique at his pine needle basketry classes. These baskets were sewn together with colorful string.

Asha Maida, of Zephyrhills, meticulously inspects the start of a pine needle basket: the bottom ring.

Pine needle basketry is a meticulous and intricate craft that requires hours and hours of handiwork, even to create the smallest of baskets.

Lois Jones, of Zephyrhills, threads a needle through some tightly packed pine straw during a class at St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church of Zephyrhills.

Proposed land use change sparks debate

September 13, 2022 By B.C. Manion

The Pasco County Planning Commission has rejected an argument that the county should preserve two lots along Ridge Road for industrial use, rather than allowing them to be converted for commercial development.

The 3.47-acre plot at Galen Wilson Boulevard and Ridge Road in Port Richey has been discussed as being converted to commercial use, but Pasco County Planning Commission rejected that idea on Sept. 1. (MIKE CAMUNAS)

The county’s planning staff had recommended denial of the proposed land use change, but the planning board dismissed rationale used by planners and recommended approval, instead.

The 3.47 acres at issue are east of Galen Wilson Boulevard and south of Ridge Road, according to information in the Pasco County Planning Commission’s Sept. 1 agenda packet.

Planners said the request is inconsistent with policies within the county’s comprehensive plan. They argued that the current light industrial designation should be preserved because it has the prospect of producing more and higher-paying jobs, than commercial uses would generate.

An email from David Engel, the county’s economic growth director, is included in the planning board’s agenda packet. Engel says the industrial designation has the potential to generate 41% more jobs, and that industrial jobs, in general, pay more.

But planning board member Jon Moody was skeptical.

Moody said he takes issue with the information provided.

“There’s nothing to back it up,” Moody said. “These are nebulous statements.”

Moody questioned the reasoning that industrial uses are big job generators.

The numbers don’t bear out that industrial creates more jobs than commercial, Moody said, noting that Pasco’s “second-largest employer is Publix.”

Planning board chairman Chuck Grey raised objections, too.

“We’ve got blinders on, in this particular instance,” Grey said, explaining he’s familiar with the applicant who has assembled 20 acres of light industrial.

“He’s asking for two acres,” Grey said.

The chairman also asked planners: “Where’s all of the industrial, if there’s such demand?”

Grey went on: “We’re really involved in the Ridge Road development, personally, on the business side. I don’t see any demand for industrial development in that corridor. I haven’t got one question for it. Not one phone call. It’s all retail.”

The planning board chairman also noted there are a number of other nearby commercial uses.

The recommendation for denial, Grey said, “seems very subjective to me.”

Attorney Steve Booth, representing the applicant, told the planning board: “We have to look at the forest, rather than the trees, on this. Everything around there is commercial.

“The frontage, right on Ridge Road, is really only appropriate for commercial,” Booth said.

“Quite frankly, with due respect to staff, it’s laughable when we talk about economic issues with two small lots,” Booth added.

With the current industrial designation, support commercial uses would be possible, but the list of potential uses in that category doesn’t mesh with the demand, Booth said.

“I would respectfully request that you look closely at the map we have here, that shows the actual uses of property surrounding it, and would say it’s totally appropriate for these two lots.”

His client wants to be able to market it to get something that’s more reasonable, Booth said.

Moody also noted that before the meeting began, he checked to see how much activity was happening in the area.

“There’s only one active permit application and it’s by the applicant himself,” Moody said.

“I can tell you as a practicing engineer in the area, I’ve done a dozen layouts in that center and none of them have come to fruition yet. So, right now, the center’s not generating any jobs,” he said.

Pasco working to preserve industrial land
Nectarios Pittos, the county’s director of planning and development, said an analysis on industrial land by the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council has identified sites of 20 acres or more as a good size to target for industrial uses.

“To parcel them off, well, that’s what Pasco County has done in the past. And that’s what we’ve been directed not to continue doing,” Pittos said.

The county board wants to preserve sites that are deemed for employment-generating uses, such as light industrial, heavy industrial and employment centers, Pittos said.

In this case, though, no one on the planning board stepped forward to support the planners’ position.

About 3.47 acres of land at Galen Wilson Boulevard and Ridge Road in Port Richey has been designated for industrial use and is located across the street from Chasco Elementary and Chasco Middle. (MIKE CAMUNAS)

“Personally, I think the location just makes sense for commercial uses, especially for a parcel this size,” said planning board member Jaime Girardi.

Peter Hanzel, also on the planning board agreed: “Ridge Road is a major road. I can’t see why those two lots can’t be commercial. In fact, that’s what they should be. You’re on a major road.”

But Pittos countered: “Pasco is seeing a higher interest in industrial land development. We recently completed the Ridge Road connection to the Suncoast Parkway, and I would say in a number of years, there will be a connection all of the way to U.S. 41, so Ridge Road is going to connect with the strategic intermodal system for Florida. And so, when we have established LI (light industrial) … the default position that we’re going to take is to preserve them.”

Pittos also noted the current plan says that this particular segment of Ridge Road should be an employment-generating area.

David Goldstein, chief assistant county attorney, also told Moody the issue isn’t just the quantity of jobs.

“As a general rule, industrial (jobs) are higher-paying jobs than a Publix,” the attorney said.

Goldstein also noted that the county’s comprehensive plan considers not only current circumstances, but future need, as well.

Goldstein said the planning board cannot approve a request that is inconsistent with the comprehensive plan’s policies. However, he said the board could approve it, if it determined the request is consistent.

Ultimately, the board members passed a motion declaring the request does not violate the county’s policies, and voted to recommend approval.

The request now goes to the Pasco County Commission, which has final jurisdiction in land use and zoning issues.

Published September 14, 2022

Solving school discipline issues a ‘sticky wicket,’ superintendent says

September 6, 2022 By B.C. Manion

The Pasco County public school district continues to search for an effective way to handle discipline problems. (MIKE CAMUNAS)

It’s not a new problem, but as the 2022-2023 school year gets underway, the Pasco County public school district continues to search for an effective way to handle discipline problems — particularly at the elementary school level.

The issue came up during the Pasco County School Board’s Aug. 30 meeting.

Board member Megan Harding raised concerns about school teachers not feeling the support they need form the school district, when students create disruptions.

Harding said she’d heard from teachers who didn’t understand how the district’s No Tolerance Behavior Plan applies to elementary schools.

Pasco County School Board member Megan Harding wants to be sure that the school district has the backs of elementary teachers when it comes to disciplining students who disrupt their classrooms. (Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

“I think that there’s not a lot of clear expectations on what that looks like,” Harding said. “When I’m asked that, I don’t really know what that looks like in elementary.

“They (elementary school teachers) don’t understand what that looks like and that the district has their back. I honestly can’t blame them for their frustration,” Harding said.

Pasco Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning told the school board: “That is a sticky wicket.

“We continue, as a staff, to work on the discipline issue and how we address elementary kids.”

The district has a plan for its secondary students. In serious cases, it can remove students from a regular school campus and the student can attend an alternative school.

It doesn’t have that option for elementary school students.

However, there are a small number of elementary school students who create havoc on school campuses, committing what the district defines as Level Two and Level Three offenses.

According to the district’s Student Code of Conduct, examples of Level Two offenses include: disruptive behavior, physical aggression, lying to a staff member, cheating, fighting, leaving a class or school grounds without permission, defacing property, gambling, and showing gang signals.

Examples of Level Three offenses include fighting that results in injuries; physical attack; using, selling or distributing controlled substances; bomb threat; false fire alarm; extortion, robbery; sexual harassment; theft of property; possession of dangerous objects (box cutters, pocket knives, look-alike weapons, etc.); major disruption on campus; and, sexual contact.

Both levels contain a longer list of offenses.

At the Aug. 30 school board meeting, Browning said there are instances, “where you have kids that are literally beating kids to the ground, bloodying them up and causing them to have to go the hospital because of the injuries they’ve caused. That’s the Level Twos and Level Threes, I’m talking about.

“The last thing I want to do is expel kids from school,” the superintendent said.

“I don’t want to expel kids, but I also want to make sure that the other 24 or 26, 28 kids in the classroom that aren’t fighting, have an opportunity to get an education. That’s what I want.

“That’s what we, as a school district, have a responsibility to ensure,” Browning said.

While the numbers of offenders are low, their impact can be sizable, he added.

“They will disrupt and create chaos either in a classroom, or across an entire school campus,” Browning said.

Harding said there are situations “where our teachers feel they are not being supported.”

“I have been in classrooms where there’s chaos going on, not because there’s any fault of the teacher, but because there are a few students that aren’t making good choices and they are being Level Two, and the teacher isn’t feeling any of that support.

“The learning is being impeded by other students. So, we do, at some point, need to be sure there are consequences for that,” Harding said.

She also cited an instance she’d reported involving a teacher who had been bitten.

“Our elementary teachers need that support just as much as our secondary teachers,” Harding said.

Browning responded: “And, I would agree. The one particular case that you are referring to, I have inserted myself in … I have spoken to the principal.

“I don’t buy the premise that the teacher should not feel supported. When the superintendent gets involved with something, that should send a pretty strong message,” he said.

“We continue to work on the discipline issues in this district. They are out of control. Not just in this district, but across the state of Florida, and quite honestly, across the United States,” Browning said.

“Ms. Harding, you have my word, you have my assurance that we will continue to work on the discipline issues,” Browning said.

While pledging to work on the issue, Browning noted that the problem of disruptive behavior begins long before students arrive on campus and extends far beyond the classroom walls.

“I will say this, until I walk out the door, and that is, ‘Parents have a responsibility to have discussions with their kids about what appropriate behavior is, in schools.’

“We’ve got to partner with them. They’ve got to set those expectations at home, so that they know when they come into school, what those expectations look like and what they need to do in a civilized society — and that is, behave.

Superintendent Kurt Browning said his staff continues to work on ways to deal with the challenges of disciplinary problems in elementary schools. (File)

Superintendent’s message to parents
Superintendent Kurt Browning reminded parents they “play a crucial role in promoting safety on our school campuses,” in a letter he wrote that’s included in the school district’s Student Code of Conduct for the 2022-2023 school year.

The superintendent’s letter says: “Preventing bullying and harassment is vital to establishing the safe, caring, respectful environment necessary for teachers to teach and students to learn. Please review with your student the definitions of bullying and the different types of harassment, as well as the consequences students could face if it is proven that they have engaged in such behavior.

“I want to eliminate uncivilized, disrespectful behavior in our schools, but I need your help to make sure students understand that the schools will not tolerate bullying, harassment or uncivilized behavior.

“We also need your help reinforcing with your student the consequences they face if they make a threat against a school. This issue is an increasing problem with more students on social media.

“Threatening violence against a school is never a joke; it always is taken seriously, and the consequences could include felony charges and expulsion from school. A new Florida law that went into effect on Oct. 1, 2016, makes threatening violence with a firearm a second degree felony.”

Published September 07, 2022

These girls just want to have fun — with their dads

August 30, 2022 By Mike Camunas

Wesley Chapel resident Anthony Delavilla is all smiles dancing with his young daughter, Antonella, at the first-ever Father-Daughter Dance , at the Wesley Chapel Recreation Complex, on Aug. 19. (Mike Camunas)

Fathers were dressed up and their daughters were, too, for an adorable date night in Wesley Chapel.

The couples came from across Pasco County on Aug. 19, for the first-ever Father-Daughter Dance at the Wesley Chapel Recreation Complex, 7727 Boyette Road.

Little girls donned party dresses — and some even wore tiaras — as they danced across the gym floor with their dads.

Gelled lights, smoke machines, a disco ball and music set the stage for fun and touching moments at the dance.

The couples showed off high-energy moves to songs including “YMCA” and “The Electric Slide,” and then things slowed down for “Dance with my Father.”

There were light refreshments and some raffle contests, too.

Organizers were pleased with the turnout — of nearly 100 attendees — for the event that had a “Rolling Out The Red Carpet” theme.

They also hope to make the Father-Daughter Dance an annual tradition.

Published August 31, 2022