The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

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She has lofty goals, and the will to achieve them

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After a lifetime of preparation, Olivia Jenkins was ready to fly.

She boarded a Cessna 172 Skyhawk — and her instructor stayed on the ground.

She took off from Tampa North Flight Center in Lutz on Sept. 23 and flew her pattern, soaring to 1,000 feet, then she touched down flawlessly to begin a run of three landings.

Olivia Jenkins stands near a plane at the North Tampa Flight Center in Lutz. (Courtesy of Olivia Jenkins)

Her quirky goal was complete.

“I flew a plane solo before I drove a car solo,’’ she explained.

Jenkins, 16, has many more goals in mind (including getting her driver’s license — one day). On her birthday — Feb. 10 — she intends to take her last check ride and finalize her private pilot’s license. Then she can fly without restrictions and even take some passengers aboard.

She’s a member of Mitchell High School’s Navy ROTC program and will seek a congressional nomination to a military service academy. One day, she hopes to fly for the U.S. Air Force or perhaps fly helicopters for the Army.

“I would not put anything past Olivia,’’ said Robert Crews, her flight instructor. “For a 16-year-old, she approaches it so professionally. When you ask her to do something, she does it and she understands it.

“You know how 16-year-olds are? They say, ‘Yeah, I got it, I got it.’ Then they don’t have it. When Olivia says she’s got it, she’s got it.”

Jenkins, whose family lives in Trinity, has a 3.9 grade-point average. She has honed her skills and training through the North Tampa-Lutz Cadet Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol, an auxiliary unit of the U.S. Air Force. As a cadet commander, she has taken advantage of the opportunity to participate in orientation flights, where cadets fly with instructors and take the controls themselves, while soaking up knowledge.

“Beyond the flight experience, the Civil Air Patrol has allowed Olivia to build a lot of character and leadership skills, as she has progressed through the ranks,’’ said Rich Jenkins, her father. “I think it has all shown her raw ambition. Whenever we set a goal for her, she has always outperformed that goal. She takes it on and masters it, whether it’s schoolwork or anything else.

Sixteen-year-old Olivia Jenkins recently took her first solo flight.

“But, clearly, she has a passion for flying. And, she had it from a very early age.’’

Jenkins’ father helped with that. As a private pilot himself, he took Olivia on flights when she was still in a car seat. She doesn’t remember much from those early days. But, the father recalls when they were at the top of the old Pier in St. Petersburg. She had a clear view of Albert Whitted Airport. She spotted the landing indicator lights and knew if the planes were coming in too low. Olivia was 4.

She attended the Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo in Lakeland annually with her father, but her flight interest really took off at age 10, when she participated in the Experimental Aircraft Association (EEA) Young Eagles program.

That’s when she set her goal. She wanted to fly solo before she could drive solo.

Mission accomplished.

“I just love the feeling of flying,’’ Jenkins said. “I always had an interest, I think, but the Young Eagles experience really showed me what it’s like to be in the air.

“I was a little nervous on my first solo flight, but I was prepared. I studied hard and was confident in what I was doing. When I flew the approach nicely and touched down nice and smooth, that was absolutely the best part. It’s like achieving a lifelong dream. I’m excited for what’s ahead,” she said.

Olivia Jenkins prepares her plane, at dusk.

Jenkins is nothing but prepared.

She served an internship last summer in the office of U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, who represents the 12th congressional district in Florida.

Jenkins is back in Bilirakis’ office for occasional work, some of which involves helping organize students who are seeking nominations to military service academies. By next summer, with her connections firmly in place, Jenkins will be seeking her own nomination.

She also has maximized her experience with the Civil Air Patrol, taking five orientation flights (almost mini-flight lessons), getting accepted into a summer flight academy and securing most of her Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) examinations, the precursor to a private pilot’s license.

She has about 13 sessions remaining with Crews, her flight instructor, before the birthday flight that will make things official.

If the weather conditions are right, Jenkins can rent a plane at the Tampa North Flight Center for a brief flight. On a whim, she did that recently. It was after-hours, calm and quiet. Taking the plane up was a thrill. The landing was perfect.

“The sunset was amazing that night,’’ Jenkins said. “It was just awesome. I think I’m always going to love the feeling. I can’t wait for what’s ahead.’’

Off she goes into the wild blue yonder. She’s ready to fly.

By Joey Johnston

Published October 21, 2020

Big decisions on the ballot in Election 2020

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Voters already have begun casting their mail-in ballots in Election 2020 — making decisions that will have enormous consequences.

The top of the ballot features a choice between reelecting President Donald J. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, or electing challengers former Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Senator Kamala Harris.

Early voting will begin in Pasco and Hillsborough counties at several locations on Oct. 19.

Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley said his office will work with Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco’s office to ensure that elections are safe, just like they have in other elections. (File)

Pasco County voters, for instance, will decide who should represent them in District 3 and District 5 on the Pasco County Commission. They also will choose the superintendent of Pasco County Schools.

A number of other key races are on the Nov. 3 ballot.

In Hillsborough County, voters will select the county sheriff, county tax collector, the county property appraiser, and seats on the Hillsborough County Commission and Hillsborough School Board.

Voters also will choose their congressional representatives and state lawmakers, in contested races.

Key races at the local level include Florida’s 12th congressional district; District 36, District 37 and District 38, in the Florida House; and District 20, in the Florida Senate.

Statewide, voters will  decide the fate of a half-dozen constitutional amendments.

All of this comes in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Craig Latimer and Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley are encouraging voters to consider voting by mail, or taking advantage of Early Voting, to reduce waiting time for voters on Election Day, Nov. 3.

They also assure that steps will be taken to protect both voters and poll workers at election sites — through social distancing, face coverings and other precautions.

In addition to the pandemic, Election 2020 comes at a time of bitter partisan divide.

Political scientist Susan MacManus put it like this: “Obviously, everything that we thought we knew about politics has been turned upside down this election year.”

The national party conventions were different. The presidential and vice presidential debates have been different. The way people will vote — with experts predicting a record number of mail-in ballots — is different, too.

And, the constant frenzy of breaking news on social media and cable networks has made an impact.

“We’ve seen issues change by the hours, making it very difficult for campaigns to come up with a clear message,” added MacManus, a retired distinguished professor of political science at the University of South Florida.

“The nation is the most partisan/polarized in its history. The partisan divide is the deepest ever and so is the generational divide, really, politically,” added MacManus, who has been a close observer of elections for decades.

“Democrats are seen as moving more toward Socialism, and Republicans are seen as more toward, what they call maintenance of the Capitalistic system,” she said.

Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Craig Latimer says voters can be assured of a safe and secure election in Hillsborough County. (Courtesy of Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections)

On top of that, she said, “you had a health care and an economic meltdown at the same time, basically reconfiguring how people live — in every facet, whether it’s no toilet paper in the grocery, to the point of, ‘Now, do I send my kid to school in person, or do I not?’

Plus, there are clashes over racial injustice and the role of police.

The political landscape is changing, too, MacManus observed.

“The demographic shift that’s taking place across the country is very evident in the registration, and the makeup of Florida’s electorate. It’s much more racially and ethnically diverse, and much more age diverse than it was, even in 2016,” MacManus added.

“Many women are running in the Legislature and Congress this year, and a lot of them are women of color.

Turnout is a big question for both Democrats and Republicans
MacManus, who is frequently called upon to share expertise with national news outlets, said each political party is struggling to reach specific groups of voters.

Democrats are seeking to attract working class whites, particularly men; the Latino vote; and Minority School Choice voters, she said, noting in the past those groups were predictably Democrat voters.

This is what it looks like when voters drop off ballots in Hillsborough County. (Courtesy of Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections)

Republicans are seeking to reach college-educated white women; suburban moms with kids; and older voters, especially women. In essence, Republicans are struggling with a gender gap, she said.

“Then, each of them, of course, has a big, big, big, big turnout question,” MacManus said.

For the Democrats, the big turnout question is how many young voters will turn out.

Young voters, she said, want to be inspired, they want genuine discussions of their issues, and they value diversity.

Republicans, on the other hand, are worried that moderate Republicans will cross over and vote Biden. They’re also concerned that voters deemed as ‘Never Trumpers’ just won’t bother to vote, she said.

Despite those issues, MacManus believes that turnout will be higher for this year’s election.

She thinks it’s important for voters to understand that it may be awhile before the final results are known.

“There are legitimate reasons why you may not know on Election Night in a very close state like Florida,” she said.

Election privacy booths are spaced out, to provide social distancing and privacy for voters. (Courtesy of Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections)

A delay in counting overseas ballots is one of those reasons.

“Military and overseas ballots aren’t due until 10 days after the Election, and we have a lot of people that meet criteria,” MacManus said.

“No. 2, if you vote early and you forget to take your ID, you can still cast what’s called a provisional ballot. Then, after the election is over when the canvassing board meets, they can check it. If you are indeed registered, your vote counts. In 2000, they would have been tossed out.

“The third reason is that you can get an onslaught of mail-in ballots that get there on Election Day or a day or so before.

“If it’s really, really tight in Florida, you may go to bed thinking it’s one candidate (who won), and then a couple of days later it will be different — and, it won’t be because anybody’s fraudulent,” MacManus said.

Even after the votes are counted, it might not be over, she said.

“Each side is already lawyered up to the max,” MacManus said.

Voting
There are three ways to vote:  Vote By Mail, Early Voting, and voting on Election Day.

Voters who vote by mail can either mail in their ballots, or drop them off at an early voting site. Your ballot must be received by your Supervisor of Elections office by 7 p.m., on Nov. 3.

Those voting by mail are encouraged to mail in their ballots early, to ensure they arrive on time. When voting in person, bring one or two forms of ID, which include your signature and photo. If you do not bring proper ID, you can vote a provisional ballot. A canvassing board will evaluate it for eligibility.

Important dates to remember
The deadline to register was Oct. 5.

Early voting in Hillsborough County begins Oct. 19 and ends Nov. 1, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., daily

Early voting in Pasco County begins Oct. 19 and ends Oct. 31, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily

Election Day voting nationwide is Nov. 3, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

For a list of Early Voting places and other information, go to PascoVotes.gov for Pasco County and VoteHillsborough.org for Hillsborough County.

Safe and secure at the polls:
Steps are being taken in Pasco and Hillsborough counties to keep voters safe. Those include:

  • Limiting the number of people inside the polling place at one time.
  • Ensuring that poll workers have face coverings
  • Providing hand sanitizer
  • Reminding voters to wear a mask and follow social distancing guidelines

Election security: 10 reasons your vote is safe and secure
Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Craig Latimer offers these 10 reasons that voters can be assured their vote is safe and secure.

  1. The Florida Division of Elections checks each voter registration form to verify the applicant’s identity.
  2. Our voter registration database is updated regularly to remove deceased and ineligible voters.
  3. Voters have to show photo and signature identification to vote.
  4. Our voter records are updated electronically to record when a voter has requested a mail ballot or voted. If someone comes to vote in person, their mail ballot is immediately canceled. And vice versa.
  5. The state-certified equipment is tested before each election with a public logic and accuracy test to make sure machines are counting votes correctly. During this test, pre-marked ballots are put in a randomly selected sample of our machines to make sure the count is what it’s supposed to be and that every position on the ballot is being read by each machine.
  6. Our ballots and equipment are under 24-hour camera surveillance and stored in areas with restricted key card access until they are deployed for voting. During voting, the ballot scanners are kept in plain sight and secured with seals to prohibit tampering.
  7. We use a stand-alone server, not connected to the Internet, to tabulate and report results.
  8. Electronic results from each ballot scanner are encrypted and backed up by printed results that are posted on the doors of each polling place and driven to our central office.
  9. Paper ballots are held for 22 months and can be rescanned if there is a problem with the equipment or question about results.
  10. After every election, we run a post-election audit using a separate system to re-tabulate the ballots and confirm the accuracy of our results.

Source: Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections’ website

Published October 14, 2020

Reflecting on a storied broadcast career with the Tampa Bay Lightning

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He’s the enduring voice you think about when watching the Tampa Bay Lightning on television. He’s the unflappable personality who always knows the right words, when to be serious, when to be dramatic, when to explain the situation and when to add a dash of humor.

Now, it’s time to put down the microphone, slow down a bit, count his blessings after 42 years in broadcasting and enjoy his life in Lutz.

It was Rick Peckham’s plan all along to call it quits after this past season with the Lightning, where he served as the television play-by-play announcer for 25 seasons.

Rick Peckham, left, and his Lightning broadcast partner, Brian Engblom. (Courtesy of Fox Sports Sun)

Who knew he would have this kind of exit?

The National Hockey League season was halted in March by COVID-19, then resumed in August at the Canadian virus-bubble cities of Toronto and Edmonton. Peckham’s last official call — Brayden Point’s overtime game-winner at the clinching Game 5 against Columbus in the Eastern Conference first-round series — was working off a video screen from an Amalie Arena studio.

When NBC’s national team picked up the remainder of playoff coverage and the Lightning clinched the franchise’s second Stanley Cup championship, Peckham was exchanging high-fives with his postgame-show broadcast partners at Amalie, then on the air to provide perspective. And, when Lightning players returned to Tampa for the championship celebration, it was Peckham who emceed the proceedings at Raymond James Stadium.

“All of it was truly amazing and I consider myself so fortunate to have been a part of it all,’’ said Peckham, 65.

Peckham, a graduate of Kent State University, worked minor-league hockey in Rochester, New York, then with the NHL’s Hartford Whalers before joining the Lightning in 1995-1996. Peckham and his family — wife Vickie and their two sons — settled into Calusa Trace in 1996 and have lived on a lake at Wellington Manor for the past 13 years.

Lutz feels like home.

“When we got to the Tampa Bay area, everything seemed to be growing out in this direction,’’ Peckham said. “It seemed like a convenient place to be, and it turned out to be a great decision. Everything about it suggested a great family area — kids playing in the neighborhood and riding their bikes to school — and we have loved being here.

“There has been growth, maybe too much growth in the minds of some people, but it has brought a lot of conveniences. I’m so glad we chose this area because we have made a lot of memories and now I’m looking forward to what’s to come.’’

Peckham might still be involved with some special events with the Lightning and he could play a role with the franchise’s alumni player group. For the most part, though, he’s looking forward to picking up even more rounds of golf, his beloved pastime, and maybe discovering some new hobbies.

Either way, he’s ready for a change of pace.

“When you start in minor-league hockey, you’re doing broadcasting, sales, public relations, working about 80 hours a week in season, but it’s a wonderful learning experience,’’ Peckham said. “In the NHL, there’s the constant travel. I’ve ridden a lot of buses and planes.

“You leave after the game and you’re doing a lot of unpacking at 1:30 in the morning at a hotel. In your 30s, it’s cool. In your 40s, it’s OK. By your 50s, you’re getting tired of it. In your 60s, you’re not sure if you can keep doing it. So being at home will be just fine with me. I was fortunate to see about all I needed to see and meet some great people along the way.’’

Peckham, admittedly a creature of routine who’s accustomed to a hockey schedule, said the COVID-19 shutdown opened his eyes even more to the beauty of the Lutz area.

“The funny thing is, when hockey season is roaring along, you’re so busy that sometimes you don’t realize how fortunate you are to be in Florida,’’ Peckham said. “When the game’s weren’t being played, we could get outside and the weather was just gorgeous. I took full advantage of playing golf. Other than that, we coped the best we could, and it was great that the season was able to be finished.’’

Peckham said he’ll forever be grateful for the circumstances of his final call. It was an exciting game, a dramatic overtime winner from Point, and a swirl of gratitude and emotions from others that overwhelmed him.

“It was an announcer’s dream,’’ Peckham said. “To have a game like that, a clean game-winner and an exciting finish, it could not have worked out more perfectly. There were emotions for me, sure, but overall, I tried to approach it like any other game.’’

That approach has served Peckham well for decades.

“You always tried to be honest, accurate, under control, but you always wanted to be aware of the reaction of the fans,’’ Peckham said. “The fans here really care. They’ve gone through a lot to be recognized as a hockey market. They got to win the Stanley Cup in 2004 and they’ve been so close in recent years, then they got another one.

“All of those things go into how you present the game. I’ve been fortunate to have a great situation and lots of stability. Jeff Vinik (Lightning owner) and everyone in the organization make you proud to work for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Everything has been done in a first-class manner. The way it happened for me, I couldn’t write a story and have it end any better.’’

By Joey Johnston

Published October 07, 2020

‘Twindemic’ is new challenge now

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With the flu season approaching and the COVID-19 pandemic persisting, there’s already a catchy term to describe what could happen during the winter months.

“Twindemic.’’

The flu and COVID-19? What can you do to fight back? The local medical community offers a clear initial strategy. Get your annual flu shot — now.

Tim Hendrix is medical director for all AdventHealth Centra Care locations, including the Wesley Chapel facility. (Courtesy of AdventHealth)

Tim Hendrix, medical director for all AdventHealth Centra Care locations (including the Wesley Chapel facility), said flu season officially begins Nov. 1, but the public should move urgently.

“We will start seeing cases in October,’’ Hendrix said. “If you look at the pattern historically, the reportable cases start creeping up in October. If you get to Thanksgiving and you haven’t gotten your flu shot, it’s too late. You really need to focus on now. Now is the time before the cases increase.

“Basically, you’re dealing with two epidemics. Our concern is overwhelming capacity at the hospitals and doctor’s offices with both COVID patients and flu patients. Every year, flu puts a strain on our system. We know that, and we’re prepared for that surge. But, now we have two different viruses to deal with, and it can put an even bigger drain on the system and make a lot more people sick,” Hendrix said.

Mark Vaaler, chief medical director of St. Joseph’s Hospital-North in Lutz, said he’s also worried about an overtaxed medical system.

“If we have a bad flu season and another peak of COVID, if they happen at the same time, we certainly could face a real shortage of beds,’’ Vaaler said. “With our policy of quarantining and sending people home and the potential shortage of health care workers, even if we have beds available, the other concern is having enough workers to staff those beds.

“The best thing we can do is continue our social distancing and masking. That should help for the flu and COVID. I’m hopeful people will not forget the lessons we have learned, because those practices will mitigate both illnesses. And, of course, you need to get that flu shot as soon as possible,’’ Vaaler said.

In a normal year, anywhere from 30% to 50% of Americans get flu shots from doctor’s offices, medical centers or retail pharmacies. Hendrix and Vaaler agree that this year’s percentage needs to increase exponentially.

With the heavy attention given to COVID, flu shot awareness could be at an all-time high. There’s good news from the Southern Hemisphere, where Australia has reported a lighter flu season during its winter months. And that is partially due to COVID precautions. But, it shouldn’t prompt a false sense of security.

Mark Vaaler is chief medical director at St. Joseph’s Hospital-North in Lutz. (Courtesy of St. Joseph’s Hospital-North)

“I never try to predict a flu season,’’ Hendrix said. “This season will be more variable. We got through the (COVID) surge in April, then Memorial Day hit, and I never thought we’d be where we are now with the number of cases that we’re seeing.

“We cannot model ourselves after Australia or South Africa and hope to have the same type of low flu seasons. Our behaviors are different. Our school years are different. We’re trying to open our schools back up and get our kids back in school,” he said. “Those factors will affect how the flu season looks.’’

Vaaler said he thinks the rise of COVID has been a great advocate for flu shot awareness.

“All the talk about COVID will not go away until we get a vaccine, so hopefully people will realize the only way to control the flu is to get the vaccine,’’ Vaaler said. “As far as completely preventing you from getting the flu, it’s not 100% effective as most people know. But, if you had the vaccine, it still mitigates the severity of the flu. There’s absolutely no reason not to get the flu vaccine.

“Oh, there’s inherent skepticism we as Americans have. Some people just don’t like being told what to do or how to do it. I haven’t seen that talk dissipate. There are always people who say they took the vaccine and still got the flu or they claim they got the flu from the vaccine itself. Those things are not true. The vaccine has great value and never more than in the year like we are currently experiencing.’’

This flu season might be confusing
Hendrix and Vaaler said the Twindemic year could have new twists. What if someone catches the flu and COVID-19 at the same time? What if they get sick and aren’t certain about which virus was contracted?

It can be confusing because the flu and COVID-19 have similar symptoms. The most obvious signs of differentiation are COVID’s tendency to prompt lack of smell and lack of taste, along with heightened aching and fatigue.

“We know co-infection can happen,’’ Hendrix said. “When COVID-19 started (roughly in February), we started seeing people with COVID and influenza. Those people got through it OK, but having two different viruses is never a good thing. The risk of complications is higher with co-infections, and it’s another reason to get a flu shot.’’

“The scary thing about it is you can get both of them,’’ Vaaler said. “You can also get one, get better, then get the other. And, the most serious part is it adversely affects our most vulnerable populations. This is absolutely the year we need to push for everyone to get their flu shot. By getting as many people vaccinated as possible, it can really help the situation.’’

By Joey Johnston

Published September 30, 2020

Aiming to create a place enticing to families

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When the movie theater at the Grove at Wesley Chapel reopens soon, it won’t be anything like the former Cobb Theatre where people used to go to watch movies.

The exterior of the building already looks completely different than it did before, and the interior is getting a massive makeover, too.

Mark Gold and his wife, Viviane, stand near a sign in the former Cobb Theatre. The theater complex is going through a makeover, inside and out, and will offer a broader array of entertainment choices and food options, when it reopens. (B.C. Manion)

In what is being billed as the movie theater of the future, the Cinema & Entertainment Complex will include such features as fully reclining seats in some theaters, a supervised kids’ playroom, a full arcade and a comedy club.

Mishorim Gold Properties and developer Mark Gold are investing millions of dollars into the renovation.

Features in the 85,000-square-foot complex will include a new color scheme, floors, décor and light fixtures.

Other details include:

  • Spin bikes, in a theater room, which is expected to include some form of virtual reality experiences
  • Assigned seating, with a socially distanced layout during the pandemic
  • An open theater that will serve as a performance hall for plays, concerts and productions
  • In-movie food service with contactless ordering within six of the 12 theaters
  • An upscale sit-down restaurant

Parents will be able to go to the movies and drop their children off in a supervised play area, where the children can play, while the adults go off to enjoy the movie, Gold said.

The arcade within the complex will feature games for people of all ages.

The idea is to give people a different type of experience, Gold said. Instead of going to the movie and then back home again, people of all ages who come here will be able to spend a few hours enjoying an array of activities, he said.

The construction equipment and disturbed earth offer evidence of future growth at the Grove at Wesley Chapel.

“The Grove is about family,” he said.

Great care also is being taken to ensure that the theater is safe for patrons, the developer added.

It will be equipped with sanitation technology that includes fogging machines and automated thermal temperature scan swing gates at the entrance.

Going there will be safer than going to a grocery store, Gold said.

The reimagined movie theater complex will be just one of the new offerings at the Grove at Wesley Chapel.

Once people step outside of the entertainment complex there will be a wide range of choices for places to eat, shop or have fun on other parts of the property.

A water park and an 18-hole miniature golf course are both planned near the theater, and both are expected to open this winter.

The water park plans call for it to be built on a 1.7-acre site. Proposed features include two large water slides, a lazy river, a splash pad for kids, and a pool for adults and kids.

The 18-hole mini-golf course will have a Hawaiian theme and will be handicapped accessible.

A look at the updated exterior of the former Cobb Theatre, at the Grove at Wesley Chapel.

Those projects represent just a fraction of the Grove at Wesley Chapel’s redevelopment plan.

An area, which Gold calls The Village, has a collection of storefronts with personal service businesses, a brewery and a restaurant.

There are traditional big box stores, too.

Plus, the Grove will be home to Krate — billed as one of the world’s largest collections of shipping containers used to house retail shops and restaurants.

Businesses at Krate will have indoor and outdoor seating, and there will be an outdoor stage nearby — which will be a focal point for community events.

A dog park and playground are also planned.

Gold plans to use frequently scheduled events to attract people to the shopping, dining and entertainment complex. He believes the combination of offerings will make the place so popular that people will be willing to drive up to two hours to get there.

Numerous storefronts in The Village area of the Grove at Wesley Chapel are plastered with ‘coming soon’ signs.

In addition to its mix of offerings, the development enjoys an excellent location, Gold said.

It’s in the middle of booming Wesley Chapel, which is characterized by its high incomes, highly rated schools and burgeoning residential growth, he said.

Plus, the property enjoys high visibility from Interstate 75 and also has frontage off State Road 54, near the interstate exit.

For anyone who hasn’t been to the property recently, the changes are obvious. There’s a new energy in The Village area, with businesses that have recently opened and “coming soon” signs plastered on many storefronts.

The common areas have been upgraded, too. Water fountains, decorative lamp posts, artistic metal flowers, banners and surround sound create a welcoming vibe.

There’s also evidence of future activity: Heavy equipment is parked on disturbed land on one edge of the property, and signs proclaiming future projects are planted into the ground in other areas.

One element that remains missing, though, is a grocery store, Gold said.

The developer said he’d like to bring one in, but doesn’t want a traditional grocery store. He’s interested in adding a specialty grocer.

To find out the latest, check Facebook.com/GroveAtWesleyChapel and Instagram: @groveatwesleychapel.

Grove at Wesley Chapel
Purchased by Mishorim Gold Properties, September 2019, for approximately $64 million

  • Site is about 250 acres; purchase included 604,000 square feet of existing shopping and dining space; plus, 1.3-million square feet to build out.
  • $110 million in renovations
  • Average household income within 5 miles, $91,150 (among highest in the United States)
  • Big Box: 15 stores including Dick’s Sporting Goods, Cost Plus World Market, Ross
  • The Village: 25 shops including coffee shop, paint-your-own pottery, axe throwing, dueling pianos, nail salon, real estate
  • Krate: One of the largest shopping centers in the world made up of containers. It will open in Winter 2020 and will feature 94 containers; 54 units; an outdoor stage, a dog park and playground. Seating will be indoors and outdoors.
  • Movie theater complex: Opening this fall, will have 12 theatres, including six which offer dining. There will an arcade, a children’s playroom, a sushi bar and upscale restaurant.

Some theaters will have fully reclining chairs.

  • Water Park: opening this winter on 1.7 acres. Proposed features include two large water slides, a lazy river, a splash pad for kids, and a pool for adults and kids.
  • Mini-golf: 18 holes. Hawaiian theme, handicap accessible. Opening winter 2020
  • 50 restaurants: Offer an array of cuisines, including Mediterranean, Vietnamese, Cajun, Peruvian and others
  • Quarterly and holiday events
  • Weekend fresh market
  • Lights and fountain features
  • Sound system reaches entire development; and alcohol sales permitted throughout the property

Source: The Grove at Wesley Chapel, updated Sept. 20, 2020

Published September 23, 2020

Lutz woman celebrates her first 100 years

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Margaret “Peggy” Oakes is celebrating a big milestone this week — marking her 100th birthday.

Originally, the family planned to go on a cruise together, but those plans were quashed by COVID-19.

Peggy Oakes is 3 years old in this photo. One of her earliest memories in life is about pretending to drive the family’s big Ford. She was around this age, or a little older at the time. (Courtesy of Pam Oakes)

So, they went to Plan B.

Part of the plan involves a party for Peggy with some of her friends at Atria Lutz, where the centenarian now lives.

Other festivities, planned by her family, will continue through the week.

To say Peggy has had an interesting life, would be putting it mildly.

She was born on Sept. 17, 1920, in Rudyard, Michigan, about 20 miles from the Canadian border.

She was the only child of Emory and Ida Close.

Her mom was a country school teacher and her dad, a rural mail carrier.

When he started delivering the mail, he drove his route by horse and buggy, recalls Peggy, in a collection of memories called “Centenarian Experiences by Peggy Oakes.”

This photo of Peggy Oakes and her husband, Frank, was taken in the 1970s.

She also shared some details of her life during a Zoom interview recently, with a reporter from The Laker/Lutz News.

One of her earliest recollections involves her dad’s big Ford.

“I remember getting in and making believe that I could drive,” she said. “I think I was about 3.”

She writes about her early life: “My childhood was a carefree, happy one. Sunday was always church, and I was active in Sunday School, youth groups, Girl Scouts and Vacation Bible School.”

She got her first job when she was 16, working as a switchboard operator on weekend evenings.

“I made $9 a week,” she wrote, adding that “was very good money, at that time.”

She graduated from Rudyard High School, and attended college in Albion, Michigan, where she studied to become a teacher.

“I just knew I was going to be a teacher,” she told The Laker/Lutz News. “I always liked little kids and children.

She added: “My mother was a teacher. My aunt was a teacher. It was kind of in the family.”

She’s happy she chose that path. “I had some really sweet little children,” she recalled.

This photo was taken when Peggy Oakes was attending Albion College, in Albion, Michigan. She went there after graduating as valedictorian in her class at Rudyard High School.

She met her husband when she went with a group of friends to a dance in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada.

“It was love at first dance,” she wrote in her memoir.

“We just both knew,” she said during a recent interview. “He was ready and I was ready.”

So, she dropped her plans of moving to California to teach, and became engaged.

“We were married Oct. 1, 1945. My folks gave us a big church wedding. It was a candlelight service,” her memoir says.

She and her husband, Frank, had three children – Michael, Melinda (Linda) and Pamela (Pam). The family lived in Holt, Michigan, near Lansing.

“Our family was very active. We went to a Presbyterian Church. We were involved in Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, athletics, drama and choir,” she wrote.

“Those years passed very quickly.

“We had a big backyard and it had a tree house and a ball diamond, and later an above-ground pool. It was always full of kids,” she wrote.

She explained her motivation for creating that environment for her children: “I wanted to know where they were, and what they were doing and try to keep track of them,” she told The Laker/Lutz News.

Peggy Oakes and her daughter, Pam, hang out at a car show at Atria Lutz. Peggy says her life has spanned from the horse-and-buggy days to travel into outer space.

She still recalls how worried she was when her son crossed the street for the first time, on his own. She also remembers how thrilled he was when she let him drive the car home, after he passed his driver’s test.

“I let go and let him drive. That was big for him,” she said.

Over the years, the family expanded. Michael married Jeanne Sigsby, and Linda married Tom Hundt, and then later, after Tom passed away, Linda married Mark Trierweiler.

Pam did not marry. She became one of the first paramedics in Michigan, was the first female firefighter and first female fire captain for the Lansing Fire Department.

Peggy’s family also includes three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Over the years, she’s done a fair amount of traveling, including trips across the country to places such as Minnesota, South Dakota, Arizona, California, Massachusetts and New York.

She’s also traveled to Canada, Switzerland, Austria, Yugoslavia, Italy, Guatemala and Mexico, among other places.

She celebrated her 65th birthday at a castle in Ireland, and her 95th birthday in Havana, Cuba.

One of her favorite trips was to New York City, where she saw “The Lion King” on Broadway, and visited Central Park. She still marvels at the beauty of the costumes used in the play.

Peggy has endured many losses — including the deaths of her parents, the sudden death of her son when he was 66, and the deaths of many other relatives and friends.

She figures she’s outlived about four sets of friends.

She relies on her faith, to endure such losses.

“I have a pretty strong faith, and I depend on that for everything. I’m very close to God. I kind of turn it over, I guess. I’m able to turn most things over,” she said.

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken away Peggy’s ability to get around, or to welcome visitors, but she keeps an upbeat attitude.

She said she still enjoys working crossword puzzles, knitting, reading biographies and tuning in to her favorite television programs.

She also said she’s not accustomed to the notoriety that seems to accompany turning 100 years old.

“I’m not used to all of this attention,” she said. “But,” she added, with a laugh, “it’s not bad.”

Centenarian Peggy Oakes

Peggy Oakes’ advice for daily life

  1. Practice gratitude:When you don’t have gratitude for what you have, there is no foundation to build on. You will continuously be filling a hole that can never be filled. But, when you are thankful for what you have, as you accomplish and gain, it will overwhelm you with happiness.
  2. Be happy NOW:Dreaming of a beautiful future has its place, but it will forever be a dream unless we learn how to be happy in our present.
  3. Be rich in self-worth:We are all worthy of a good sense of self-esteem. Learn to know that you are more than a moment in your life. Learn that you have skills that others do not. Learn that you hold power in your life. Learn that others depend on you. Learn that you are loved. Learn that you deserve to love yourself, and then love yourself. Then you will be well on your way to true wealth.
  4. Build your awareness of wants vs. needs:We’ve all done it — bought something expensive, and then ended up with buyer’s regret. Understanding what actually fits into your life and knowing that purchase is going to return its value to you is an important skill to develop.
  5. Don’t cling to money worries:Worrying about money is an addiction that keeps you from focusing on what else is going on in your life.When you are truly struggling with money, it is understandable that it would cause worry. But, what so many of us do is we go through a period in our life where money is scarce, then we hold onto the fear of that moment long after it has passed. Even those who accumulate financial wealth often continue to worry about making sure their money is enough — and they end up missing out on the joy in their life! Learn to allow fear into your life when it is helpful, then recognize when it is no longer serving you and let it go.

— Author Peggy Oakes turns 100 on Sept. 17, 2020

Celebrating centenarians
Are you, or a loved one, turning 100?
The Laker/Lutz News would love to help you, or your loved one, mark this special milestone.
Simply email us a photograph of the birthday guy or gal, who is hitting the big 100 mark, and include a couple of paragraphs about the birthday king or queen. Please include your contact information, in case we have questions.

Published September 16, 2020

Taking the long view, during a pandemic

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Like many businesses across the state, The Florida Aquarium was on a roll — before COVID-19 slammed the brakes on the economy, especially the tourism sector.

“We had two years of just record attendance and record revenues, and we were growing,” Roger Germann, president and CEO of the nonprofit conservation organization, said, during a Zoom breakfast meeting with the North Tampa Bay Chamber.

Roger Germann, president and CEO of The Florida Aquarium, is enthused about the future of the downtown Tampa attraction, which offers visitors a chance to have fun, to learn and to contribute to its conservation efforts. (File)

In mid-March, though, aquarium operations came to a halt.

Initially, Germann thought the shutdown would be for two weeks, but it soon became apparent it would be longer.

“You’ve got to make tough decisions in tough times, even if they’re uncomfortable decisions,” said Germann, who became the aquarium’s leader in 2017.

He decided to announce that the aquarium would be shuttered until May 10.

“I caught some flak, as a business leader, from a few folks, saying, ‘“We don’t know it will be that long, you’re not providing hope’,” Germann said.

But, he knew that he had the option of reopening within 48 hours, if conditions changed.

He also wanted to come up with a responsible reopening plan, and to give his 270-member staff a sense of stability in the interim.

“It was an investment in my staff. Hey, ‘You’re OK for eight weeks,’” Germann said. “I need to have you looking at the next 24 months, not the next 24 hours.”

Jellyfish are just one example of interesting sea creatures living at The Florida Aquarium.

“I have to invest in my people. I have to invest in making sure that we are strong enough to reopen, and the survivability of The Florida Aquarium is well beyond the next 24 hours — it’s the next 24 years,” he said.

By giving them a longer runway, the staff could maintain operations, take care of the animals, and figure out how to safely and successfully reopen, he said.

“We worked first with Tampa General Hospital and USF Health,” he said, noting those experts did site visits and helped the aquarium prepare to reopen safely.

The health professionals continue to monitor the situation, at least once a month, he added.

“We never want to let our guard down. Things change regularly, as you know, in science, especially in this particular case,” Germann said.

The shutdown also provided opportunity for introspection: “How do we look at our business model? What are things that we need to change?

“As a business leader, you make your decisions. It’s not always the bottom line that’s the focus. I knew that that money we were going to lose during that time — I call it Monopoly money, it is gone,” Germann said.

“We’ll probably lose close to $10 million in earned revenue by the time the fiscal year ends at the end of this month, but that certain portion is gone,” he said.

People enjoy getting wet, at The Florida Aquarium’s splashpad.

Just months before the pandemic, the aquarium launched a $14 million capital campaign.

“We said, ‘We’re making no little plans. We’re going to continue to upgrade the facility. We’re going to continue to make sure that it is a facility that you are proud of,” he said.

The capital campaign calls for investments, to enable the facility — which has been named by USA Today readers as the No. 2 aquarium in North America — to grow and expand.

“These are ideas (in the capital campaign) that are just on hold. They have not gone away by any means. They are just on hold,” Germann said.

Now celebrating its 25th year, the aquarium has been working on ways to strengthen connections within the community, Germann said.

It’s encouraging locals who haven’t been to the facility in downtown Tampa in awhile, to come check it out.

It wants to show off its animals, share the story of its conservation efforts and invite people to enjoy fun experiences there, he said.

While the pandemic has presented challenges, Germann is optimistic about the future and eager for the aquarium to continue pursuing its mission.

“We were the first aquarium in North America to reopen. We reopened on May 10,” he said.

“We were ready to go, and we were ready to contribute — really, truly — back to the mental and emotional health that we needed in this healing process.

“We all need to lift each other, and we’re all in this together,” Germann said.

Published September 09, 2020

Local woman hopes to make faith-filled impact on national level

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Zephyrhills resident Michele Bowman, raised in the Catholic Church, has always embraced faith as her life’s foundation.

“Really, it has given me everything,’’ Bowman said.

Now, she has a rare opportunity to give back.

Bowman recently was elected as one of nine National Directors for the Catholic Daughters of the Americas (CDA), an organization that promotes spiritual growth, charitable giving, community service and sisterhood.

Zephyrhills resident Michele Bowman recently was elected as a National Director for the Catholic Daughters of the Americas, becoming the fourth Floridian to reach that level in the organization’s 117-year history. (Courtesy of Michele Bowman)

In the CDA’s 117-year history, Bowman is the fourth National Director from Florida.

Bowman, who worships at St. Joseph Catholic Church, has been active as a charter member of the 43-woman Court Mother Teresa in Zephyrhills. The chapter is one of CDA’s 1,150 local chapters. She has held several CDA positions on the state and local level, but said she’s looking forward to making connections on the national level. She’s beginning a two-year term.

“It’s a big deal and quite an honor for Michele,’’ said Kathy Brady, a regent with Court Mother Teresa. “She will be able to give her opinion and be a liaison at the highest level of our organization. She will be hands-on with a lot of big issues, and it’s going to be a great experience.’’

Bowman grew up in North Tampa, where her home parish was St. Mary Catholic Church in the Lake Magdalene area.

During her initial time as a Zephyrhills resident, she attended Our Lady of the Rosary in Land O’ Lakes when it was a small church, then saw it grow exponentially as the area’s population increased.

For nearly three decades, she has called St. Joseph home. When she first heard about the formation of Court Mother Teresa, she joined immediately. It became an important factor in her spiritual maturation.

“It appealed to me to be around a group of Catholic women, to grow in faith, to be of service to the community,’’ said Bowman, who was elected by mail voting as part of the CDA’s 58th Biennial National Convention, which was scheduled for Dallas but held remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It was a great way to meet people in my parish. I thought the faith-based emphasis, plus the service and social aspects, were really nice,” Bowman said.

“But, it became more than I would have imagined. It has really extended my self-confidence in speaking to people and meeting new people. At one time, I could look around my church and hardly not know anyone. Now, I look around and I know so many people, their stories, their backgrounds. I will now get a chance to do that on a national level. I wasn’t super shy, but this sort of involvement has made me more outgoing.’’

It has also given Bowman ideas about growing an organization.

At Court Mother Teresa, the group has worked with Meals on Wheels and the Trinity Cafe. It has organized a Christmas Toy Drive for children of migrant workers. It has held yard sales and bunco games to raise money for charities.

Fundraising is good.

Charity is good.

But, Bowman wants to expand those concepts. The membership must grow. And, it needs a youth movement.

Court Mother Teresa is one of only seven courts in Florida.

“There should be more, I think, probably many more, but getting things going might be a little harder than it looks,’’ Bowman said. “I think as a national director, that’s part of my job, but it’s part of all of our jobs, really. You have to continually reach out to people, go to parishes, ask the priests if you can give a talk. You try to get the interest going.

“There are many benefits not only to the church community, but to the individuals as well. I would absolutely like to see us increase our membership, and I believe we must attract some younger women. It’s a problem when your membership starts to age out. We may have to change the way we approach things, and I’d like to have a voice in this because I believe it’s a big issue. We should be proactive.’’

As a national director, Bowman will have oversight of several states and interaction with the CDA’s big-picture issues.

But, she knows local involvement is the key to growth.

“I would tell people who want to join a court that it’s a great way to make lifelong meaningful friends with like-minded values,’’ Bowman said. “It’s a way to provide service to others. You become unified in your faith and it empowers you in a way where you know you can make a difference.

“We’re connected by our Catholic faith. By working together, we reach out to each other, encourage each other and enhance our own faith. It’s always nice to pray together. You see how someone professes their faith and strength, how they handle themselves. We are always stronger when we work together. That’s always what I want to encourage,” she said.

For more information on Court Mother Teresa, contact Brady at (813) 625-5556 or Bowman at (813) 838-3804. For more information on the Catholic Daughters of the Americas, log onto CatholicDaughters.org.

By Joey Johnston

Published September 02, 2020

Women celebrate 100 years of voting

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In 1920 Harry T. Burn, a 24-year-old delegate in the Tennessee General Assembly, heeded his mother’s admonishment in a letter to be “a good boy” and vote for women’s suffrage.

Burn did as he was told, and Tennessee — by the margin of one vote — became the 36th state to ratify the 19th amendment to the United States Constitution.

Congress officially certified the 19th amendment on Aug. 26, 1920, a date now celebrated annually as Women’s Equality Day.

To honor the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote, the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village is hosting a Smithsonian poster exhibit, “Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence!”

College women, often members of sororities, picketed in front of the White House from January 1917 until the 19th amendment was ratified. (Courtesy of Stephanie Black, Pioneer Florida Museum (From the Smithsonian poster exhibit, ‘Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence!’)

The exhibit runs through Nov. 3 — the date for the 2020 presidential election.

“We’re excited to have this here,” Stephanie Black, the museum’s executive director, said regarding the exhibit. “It’s very interesting and very diverse.”

The posters highlight more than seven decades of struggle to earn women a place in America’s political life. But, it also reveals the racism that separated white and black suffragists who worked toward the same goal. In the end, black women, including activists Mary Church Terrell and Ida B. Wells, were marginalized and the 19th amendment won only white women the right to vote.

Black women and black men in the South waited another 45 years for the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Native American women won legal citizenship and the right to vote in 1924. But they, like black men and women, suffered racist attacks that denied their access to the ballot box.

Even with its limitations, the 19th amendment shook up the political and cultural world of America.

“You’ve got to start somewhere,” said political scientist Susan MacManus. “It shows that a lot of things in the political world take time because the work takes a while.”

Today, women are filing to run for political offices in local, state and national races in numbers never seen before. MacManus counts 178 Florida women seeking office in 2020 – a record for the state.

Pollsters are focused intently on the women’s vote and its impact on dozens of races across the country, including the presidential contest.

Ida B. Wells was an investigative journalist and suffragist.

But now, as in 1920, MacManus said people make a mistake in thinking women vote as a bloc.

All women didn’t support the 19th amendment. Anti-suffrage clubs did their own protesting.

Women today also hold diverse opinions on everything.

“That’s never been truer than in politics,” MacManus said.

For some suffragists, the 19th amendment came too late.

Susan B. Anthony, who wrote the ‘Anthony amendment’ for women’s right to vote, didn’t live to see it approved. She cast an illegal ballot in New York in 1872. She was arrested, but refused to pay the $100 fine.

Women voted in the first presidential election in 1920 ushering Republican Warren G. Harding into the White House. Records suggest women represented about 36% of the electorate. It’s likely some women asked their husbands for voting advice.

Slowly over the years, women began running for office, at first mostly in local elections. They became role models for women who came behind them.

Many black women can trace their modern political activism to college sororities who organized for suffrage as well as the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, MacManus said.

Black women students from Howard University and Delta Sigma Theta were among those who marched in Washington D.C., in 1913. White organizers feared offending Southern lawmakers and told black women to march in the rear of the parade.

But, Wells boldly caught up with the white Illinois delegation and walked with them, refusing to be ignored and segregated.

Sororities set up picket lines outside the White House during Woodrow Wilson’s presidency. “Some stayed until the bitter end,” said MacManus.

Wilson eventually threw his support to the suffragists.

MacManus said Kamala Harris comes from that tradition as a Howard University graduate and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha. Harris made history last week by becoming the first woman of color running on a major political party’s ticket as vice president.

In Florida, black women have role models, including Carrie Meek, Frederica Wilson and Val Demings.

“More women are getting into politics and lot of that is driven by more women than men — by far — going to college,” MacManus said. “This is especially true with minority women.”

The #MeToo movement also has had an impact, the political scientist said.

By 1980, a voting gender gap emerged as more women than men voted in each of the last nine presidential elections.

In 1913, women held a Suffrage Pageant. Actor Hedwig Reicher is in the foreground.

A record number of 100 women held seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, in 2018. About 90 are Democrats. But, a growing number of Republican women also are seeking elected office.

According to the Rutgers Center for American Women and Politics, about 200 Republican women are running for House seats in 2020, an increase from 133 candidates in 2018.

“We’re raising our numbers,” said Sandy Graves, who won in the Aug. 18 Primary Election in the race for Republican State Committee Chairwoman for Pasco County. “We’re working very hard to try and encourage women to get in there.”

Graves is a lifelong Republican and especially honored to win an election in a year that celebrates women’s right to vote.

The amendment “was a hard-fought battle,” she said. “It is a testament to our country.”

She noted that Florida didn’t ratify the amendment until 1969, when Claude Kirk was the first Republican governor since Reconstruction.

The Pasco County Commission had planned to recognize the 100th anniversary, as well as the month of March as women’s history month, but that was delayed due to COVID-19 concerns.

Several women in past and current leadership roles will be honored when the recognition takes place, including former County Administrator Michele Baker, former Clerk and Comptroller Paula O’Neil, County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey and Assistant County Administrator Cathy Pearson.

Cheryl Pollock said the event will be scheduled once the county commission is again able to meet in person.

Pollock is the first black woman to serve as chair of the county’s Commission on the Status of Women. She joined the commission about three years ago.

“While there are limited women of color in leadership roles in our county, the county itself is slowly growing in diversity based on census reports,” Pollock said, via email.

She also said the Commission on the Status of Women is dedicated to “strive to understand disparate issues of women in our community and work toward solutions.”

A poster exhibit from the Smithsonian, “Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence!”
Where: Pioneer Florida Museum & Village, 15602 Pioneer Museum Road, Dade City
When: Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., now through Nov. 3
Cost: $10 general admission adults; $8 for seniors; $5 for students; free for children under age 5; group rates available
Info: (352) 567-0262 or PioneerFloridaMuseum.org.

Timeline for Women’s Suffrage
1848: Seneca Falls, New York convention; “Declaration of Sentiments” issued
1850: First National Woman’s Convention
1866: Suffragists sent petition to Congress requesting women’s right to vote
1872: Susan B. Anthony arrested in New York for voting illegally. Fined $100, but never pays
1878: Susan B. Anthony wrote the “Anthony amendment”
1890s: National Association of Colored Women founded by Mary Church Terrell
1909: National Suffrage Party founded
1910: Suffrage parades begin
1913: Congressional Union for Women’s Suffrage founded by Alice Paul and Lucy Burns; Alpha Suffrage Club of Chicago founded by journalist Ida B. Wells
1913: More than 10,000 women march for suffrage in Washington D.C.; Ida B. Wells defiantly marches with Illinois delegation, refusing to be segregated
1917: College women begin picketing White House
1917: Anthony Amendment reintroduced in Senate & House
1919: Congress approved the 19th Amendment; sent it to states
1920: League of Women Voters founded
1920: 19th Amendment ratified by 36th state (Tennessee)

Published August 26, 2020

COVID-19 complicates school start

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Students in Pasco and Hillsborough counties are set to begin a new school year on Aug. 24, but not all of the students will be headed to campus.

In Pasco County, students have three options for learning — amidst the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Some students are expected to arrive at Pasco campuses on Aug. 24, while others opt for two versions of online learning. In the mySchool Online version, students are connected virtually to their assigned schools. With Pasco eSchool, they have more flexibility in the schedule and pace of learning.

In Hillsborough County, classes begin on Aug. 24, with all students beginning the school year through online learning only, until campuses open for students on Aug. 31. Like Pasco, Hillsborough is offering three learning options — face-to-face instruction and two virtual approaches.

Pasco and Hillsborough county students are set to return to school on Aug. 24, either in-person or virtually. (B.C. Manion)

Of course, there’s nearly a week before school begins, so it’s not inconceivable that these plans could change again.

As of press deadline for The Laker/Lutz News, there were two legal actions pending over whether school districts must comply with Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran’s Emergency Order that requires a face-to-face learning option on public school campuses.

The school year is already starting later than initially planned, with both Hillsborough and Pasco starting on Aug. 24, rather than Aug. 10.

The Hillsborough County School Board then voted to begin the district’s school year with four weeks of online-only instruction.

That decision came after a panel of medical experts advised against reopening schools until the COVID-19 positivity rate declined to about 5%.

Corcoran, however, rebuffed Hillsborough’s temporary online-only plan.

Corcoran said Hillsborough’s new plan was inconsistent with the reopening plan the district previously had submitted to the state that had been approved.

Hillsborough Superintendent Addison Davis then took a trip to Tallahassee, to seek middle ground.

That didn’t work.

After Davis returned, the district announced that “state leaders rejected two different phased-in models our district proposed that would have delayed our brick-and-mortar opening while ensuring our most vulnerable student populations were served in a face-to-face capacity.”

So, Hillsborough’s school year will begin with one week of online, with brick-and-mortar campuses opening on Aug. 31, for students choosing that option.

Meanwhile, in Pasco County, the school district plans to follow its Aug. 24 opening plan.

However, the United School Employees of Pasco has filed a lawsuit, seeking return to online learning only, until the COVID numbers come down, per the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning and the Pasco School Board have stood behind the district’s reopening plan. Not following that plan, they have said, would jeopardize state funding.

The Florida Education Association’s motion for injunctive relief from Corcoran’s Emergency Order has been scheduled for mediation Aug. 18, and if necessary, for court hearings on Aug. 19 and Aug. 20.

The decisions being made at the state and school board levels have caused parents and teachers to make a variety of personal decisions.

Ben Langston, of Long Lake Ranch in Lutz, said he and his wife, Rene, decided to enroll their children, Connor and Avery, in a private school.

The Langstons had been planning to send the children to Oakstead Elementary, but switched those plans because of the uncertainty with what will happen with public schools.

They want Connor and Avery to have an in-school experience, rather than online, because they believe it offers a superior form of learning.

Cindy Smith, an art teacher at Land O’ Lakes High School, on the other hand, has made a different decision: She’s retiring after 31 years in Pasco County Schools.

“It was very difficult. It took me months to decide it,” said Smith, who taught Art 1 through Advanced Placement.

“I didn’t feel like it was wise to go to school and expose myself to the possibilities of COVID, at my age,” Smith said.

She doesn’t think that virtual teaching is effective for secondary art classes, although she said it would be a safer option until COVID-19 cases decline.

The teacher said she’ll miss teaching and her students.

“I’m sad about it. I’m sad for my friends. I’m sad for my students. How horrifying to think any one of them could die because of one person, or a few persons’ decisions,” Smith said.

She added: “I’m concerned that parents may not be taking this seriously enough.

“I don’t think they understand the hazards and the dangers and the concerns that we, as teachers, have. We love our students, we love our jobs, but to put us in a danger, death-threatening kind of situation is unreasonable,” Smith said.

Despite the focus on COVID-19, there also are other developments associated with beginning the 2020-2021 school year, and that includes the opening of Cypress Creek Middle School.

The new school, on Old Pasco Road, will serve students in grades six through eight.

Students who have been housed in a portion of Cypress Creek High School now will be moving to Cypress Creek Middle.

Other students previously assigned to John Long Middle, will join them, providing long-needed relief from crowding at John Long Middle.

Students from Wiregrass Ranch High also have been reassigned to Cypress Creek High, but the full effect of that boundary change won’t be immediately felt because the school district grandfathered the junior and senior class at Wiregrass Ranch.

Two new public charter schools also are opening this year, in Wesley Chapel — Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel in Avalon Park Wesley Chapel and Innovation Preparatory Academy in the Connected City area of Wesley Chapel.

Published August 19, 2020