The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

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Moffitt to add Pasco campus?

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A proposal by Moffitt Cancer Center to boost its share of the state’s annual cigarette tax money would support expanded cancer care and research, both in Hillsborough and Pasco counties.

The new location in Pasco County would be near the Suncoast Parkway and State Road 52, and is being viewed by local leaders as having the potential to be a catalyst that would transform the Central Pasco landscape.

Moffitt is asking for an increase to its current share of 4% up to 10%, with the increases coming in two phases.

Moffitt Cancer Center is seeking an additional share of state cigarette tax revenues, to support the project depicted here that would be built in Hillsborough County, and a new facility in Central Pasco County. (Courtesy of Moffitt Cancer Center)

The first phase would increase Moffitt’s share of the tax from 4%, up to 7%, which would generate $11 million in additional annual revenue, said Yvette Tremonti, executive vice president chief finance and administrative officer for Moffitt Cancer Center.

The second increase would boost Moffitt’s share from 7%, up to 10%. That increase also would generate an additional $11 million in annual revenue for Moffitt.

The first increase would take effect in 2020, and the second one would take effect in 2023. Both would last until 2053, Tremonti said.

The primary driver for the request is Moffitt’s need for additional space for both clinical care and research.

Moffitt is currently operating at or near capacity for both clinical and research purposes.

“We have patients that receive a cancer diagnosis that aren’t able to get into Moffitt, as timely as they need to be,” Tremonti said.

Revenues generated from the first increase would be used for a new clinical and research facility in Hillsborough County, with the goal to start that in July 2020, Tremonti said.

That project has been designed in two phases.

Moffitt will be spending about $332 million on phase one; and the increase in the cigarette tax would allow it to build out phase two, she said.

Revenues generated from the additional increase in Moffitt’s share of the tobacco tax funds would go for a clinical and research facility in Pasco County, Tremonti said.

That project is intended to meet future demand for cancer therapies and to create a research park. The goal would be to start that in July 2023, the Moffitt executive said.

Regardless of what happens with its request, Moffitt plans to pursue the new clinical and research facility in Hillsborough County, Tremonti said.

If Moffitt doesn’t receive its request to boost its share of the tobacco tax revenues up to 7%, it would not be able to build out phase two of its Hillsborough plan.

And, if the increased funding from 7% up to 10% did not happen, Moffitt would have to delay its expansion into Pasco County, Tremonti said.

Because of its research and the novel treatments it has developed, Moffitt serves patients from all of Florida’s 67 counties, from all 50 states and from other countries, too, Tremonti said.

Moffitt is ranked one of the Top 10 cancer hospitals in America and best in the Southeast.

Pasco County is attractive because of the area’s tremendous growth, Tremonti said.

The site’s proximity to the Suncoast Parkway and Tampa International Airport are pluses, too, she said.

Moffitt’s proposal is drawing a positive response from elected leaders and local officials.

State Sen. Ed Hooper, a Republican representing District 16, which includes a portion of Pasco County, said Moffitt’s request is “not an inappropriate ask.”

He’s not sure whether the Legislature will support Moffitt’s full request, but he said he would.

“I’m just a fan of Moffitt Cancer Center, and I want them to be able to have the tools necessary to be successful to find a cure for a variety of cancers,” Hooper said. “Cigarette revenue is the most appropriate of all funding sources, as a known cancer causer. How better to use that money to find a solution to that disease?”

Rep. Amber Mariano, a Republican representing District 36, also supports Moffitt’s request.

“I think it makes total sense,” Mariano said, especially using cigarette tax “to treat the disease those products create.”

She said Moffitt’s new campus in Pasco would be transformative.

“It’s going to open up that whole area,” Mariano said. “They’ll be able to bring in more companies, health care, startups.

“With the growth that we’ve already got going on, it’s just the perfect fit,” she said. “I couldn’t be more thrilled that they’re coming.”

Bill Cronin, president and CEO of Pasco Economic Development Council Inc., said the proximity to Tampa International Airport makes it a “wonderful ‘fly-to’ site for businesses all over America, as well as international clients and partners to visit their campus facility.”

Besides attracting additional companies to locate near them, Moffitt also can be a magnet for talent, said Cronin, via email.

State Rep. Randy Maggard, a Republican representing District 38, characterized Moffitt as “a great research institution” and said it “wants to bring jobs to Pasco.”

But, he said he needs more information before taking a position on the request.

“I’ve just got to really dive into it and just take a look at it, and make sure that this is good for the citizens of Pasco. That’s the bottom line, at the end of the day,” Maggard said.

Pasco County Administrator Dan Biles said a new Moffitt campus in Central Pasco could have a profound impact.

“You hear the term ‘game changer’ a lot and it seems that, over the last decade, it seems to be overused,” he said. However, he added: “I don’t have another word to replace that.”

This is the kind of project, Biles said, that 50 years from now when people living elsewhere hear the name Pasco County, they’re going to think: “That’s where the Moffitt Research Center is.”

Published September 25, 2019

School district expands mental health services

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The Pasco County school district has been ramping up training and tapping into outside sources, in its quest to build a better mental health support network for students.

Statistics from across the school district underscore a compelling need for increased services.

District figures show that more than 1,200 suicide assessments were done last year of students in elementary, middle and high schools.

The breakdown showed that 463 suicide assessments were reported at the elementary school level; 408 at the middle school level; and, 308 at the high school level.

There also were nearly 600 threat assessments across the district, with 278 reported at the elementary level; 134 at the middle school level; and, 186 at the high school level.

Jeannine Welch, Melissa Musselwhite and Vicki Papaemanuel are leading up efforts to expand mental health services within Pasco County Schools. (B.C. Manion)

District data regarding Baker Act cases reported 171 at the elementary level; 211 at the middle school level; and, 207 at the high school level.

Baker Act cases involve individuals who are deemed to be a threat to themselves or others who are referred for mental evaluation.

“We obviously have many students that need significant support from us, relating to mental health,” said Melissa Musselwhite, the district’s director of student support programs, during a school board session on mental health held this summer.

Pasco Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning pointed to the suicide assessments.

“Twelve hundred and sixty — 463 just in elementary school alone,” Browning noted.

He also observed there were more suicide assessments at elementary level, than in high school.

“The same with threats,” noted School Board Chairwoman Alison Crumbley. “It’s (threats) higher at elementary.”

Jeannine Welch, senior supervisor for student support services, told board members that it’s  difficult to pinpoint what the statistics mean. For instance, a suicide assessment could refer to a student who was assessed, but not in any danger.

Musselwhite also said more information is needed: “Do we have the same standard for kids we are referring, let’s say for suicide assessment?

“If the kid has scissors and says, ‘I’m going to stab you,’ or ‘I’m going to stab myself,’ do we have a common practice across the district how we respond to that?

“Those are questions. I don’t know. We really need to analyze the data more deeply,” Musselwhite said.

Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Schools David Scanga said the statistics are telling.

“It does reflect the stress level of elementary that probably 10 years ago we didn’t see,” he said. “So, the stress on the families, the stress on the communities, the stress within the building. I hear what Melissa is saying, but we also know and agree that there are things in elementary that we’re dealing with that are more frequent — not that they were never there — but they are more frequent than they were in the past.”

To help address the needs, the district has been collaborating with Central Florida Behavioral Health Network, which has allowed the district to expand its services.

Central Florida has worked out a memorandum of understanding with all of the providers, so the district doesn’t have to obtain a separate contract for a specialized service, Welch said.

Students receiving services are run through a voucher system.

That helps stretch the district’s spending capacity because if a child is eligible for Medicaid, or would be potentially eligible, those dollars are used first, Welch said.

The district has added key personnel and has expanded training efforts.

It has added mental health coaches to coach school-based student services staff regarding mental health initiatives.

The mental health liaison has been able to help analyze data, and also has provided “literally, someone to call instantly in order to be able to problem-solve with some of the situations we have within schools,” Musselwhite said.

The district is working to improve its supports for students.

When a student has been Baker-acted, for instance, the district wants to be sure it supports that student when he or sure returns to school.

“We want to make sure that it’s truly done as a safety net for them,” Welch said.

“We’ve had kids that have been gone for a week and come back, and said they’ve been on a Disney cruise. They weren’t on the Disney cruise,” Welch said.

The district has ramped up training.

“We are required to train staff and make sure they have first-aiders at schools. When this first came out, we had zero trainers,” Welch said. “This summer we’ve trained 688 staff members.”

The district continues to build on its capacity, she said.

“We spent this year building up trainers,” she said.

“It shouldn’t just be the administrator. It should be others that, these are embedded practices that live on, regardless of the leadership,” she said.

“The state has rolled out a new threat assessment  protocol that we’ll be training all student services and administrative staff, in the next month (by Oct. 1),” Musselwhite said.

“The majority of the day will be around the threat assessment, behavioral threat assessment that the state mandated, using a specific  tool and a training platform,” said Vicki Papaemanuel, who will be overseeing the training for the district.

“The second half of the day will be around threat to self or suicide assessment,” she said.

Threat assessments
Elementary: 278
Middle: 134
High School: 186
Total: 598

Suicide assessments
Elementary: 463
Middle: 408
High School: 308
Total: 1,260

2018-2019 Baker Act Data
Elementary: 171
Middle: 211
High school: 207

Source: Pasco County Schools

Published September 18, 2019

Chance conversation leads to permanent memorial

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What began as an idea to host a  9/11 Memorial Mile, quickly turned into something bigger because of a chance conversation.

Penelope Bastidas, the widow of 9/11 first responder Lt. Mario Bastidas, uses large scissors during the ribbon cutting to unveil the first permanent 9/11 memorial in Pasco County. Bastidas flew in from New York to attend the event. (Christine Holtzman)

In recent years, the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel has been honoring the anniversary of Sept. 11 by serving breakfasts to area first responders and by passing out American flags at Tampa Premium Outlets.

This year, the club decided to stage its first run to commemorate Sept. 11.

But, that idea morphed into something bigger during planning stages for that run.

Chris Casella, president of the Rotary Club, recalled that during a discussion, Rhonda Clark, the mall’s director of marketing and business development, mentioned that a guy had dropped by Tampa Premium Outlets recently, wanting to donate a piece of metal from a New York Fire Department truck destroyed in the terror attacks.

Rotarian Arlene Brooks belts out her rendition of the National Anthem before the start of the inaugural 9/11 Memorial Mile. (Christine Holtzman)

Casella asked Clark: “Is his name Steve?”

Clark answered yes.

“That’s my old partner!” Casella exclaimed.

From that point on, the conversation shifted beyond discussing the run.

The mall offered to donate 25 linear feet of wall space inside the food court for the first permanent 9/11 memorial site in Pasco County.

And, the event expanded to include a dedication ceremony for the new memorial.

The memorial commemorates a day that is seared into the nation’s collective memory.

Penelope Bastidas, of New York, left, and Stephen Spelman, of Wesley Chapel, support each other with a hug, during a moment of silence before the ceremony to unveil a permanent 9/11 memorial at the Tampa Premium Outlets. Bastidas’ husband, Lt. Mario Bastidas, was a paramedic with the New York Fire Department. He passed away in 2017 from a 9/11-related cancer. Spelman was an EMT with the NYFD and is a 9/11 survivor. Also pictured: Spelman’s 10-year-old son, Mathew, second from right, and Rotarian Eric Johnson. (Christine Holtzman)

On Sept. 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners — resulting in 2,977 deaths in New York City, Washington D.C., and outside of Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Remembering the day is deeply personal for Casella.

When terrorists flew into New York’s Twin Towers, Casella was an officer with the New York Police Department.

Because of a work-related injury, he was on limited duty that day, so wasn’t part of the chaos at Ground Zero, he said. He has, however, suffered deep personal losses.

On the day of the attacks, he lost his friend, Brian McDonald, a fellow officer who dressed just three lockers down from him.

Now, 18 years later, he has lost several friends who died from cancer — resulting from exposure to hazardous conditions at Ground Zero.

The permanent display at the mall includes a piece of metal salvaged from the New York Fire Department’s Ladder Truck 18. (Mary Rathman)

The permanent display at the mall includes a piece of metal salvaged from the New York Fire Department’s Ladder Truck 18. The truck became known as Fort Pitt because its entire crew survived by diving beneath it during the North Tower’s collapse.

Metal from the truck was donated by Stephen Spelman, whom Casella met during the late 1980s, when they worked as EMTs on an ambulance in New York.

Spelman, now retired, lives in Wesley Chapel.

He narrowly escaped death, when the North Tower began collapsing. He ran one way, while others ran another — and he never saw them again.

(Mary Rathman)

Spelman was invited to the Motts Military Museum in Groveport, Ohio, to share his story of survival. But, with Hurricane Irma in the forecast, he wasn’t able to make it.

Even though he didn’t make the appearance, the museum gave him the piece of metal that’s now on display at the mall.

Spelman said he tried for two years to find a permanent home to display the piece, until someone suggested that he approach Tampa Premium Outlets. As a result, he said, what initially felt like a burden, has turned out to be a great gift.

Last weekend’s event began with a memorial run, but there were a great number of walkers, too.

When a Pasco County Fire Rescue Truck blew its horn, signifying the start of the run,
participants raced off in high gear from the starting line. (Christine Holtzman)

There was a moment of silence before Stephen Spelman’s 10-year-old son, Mathew, rang a bell, at 8:46 a.m., to mark the time when the North Tower was struck.

Another high point of the day was a “Missing Man” flyby maneuver performed by a Pasco Sheriff’s Office helicopter.

Scores of Rotarians, elected leaders and members of the public attended the memorial dedication.

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, Pasco County commissioners Mike Moore, Jack Mariano and Mike Wells, and other speakers, including Casella, offered remarks.

Seven-year-old Cole Roberge Pierce (in blue shirt), a member of Cub Scouts Pack 149, hands out flags to runners, as they cross the finish line. Boy Scouts Troop 149 members also were passing out flags. (Christine Holtzman)

“As a New York City Police officer, I feel it’s my obligation,” Casella began, before being overcome with emotion. He composed himself, then added, in a softer voice, “to keep their memories live.”

Others were at the event, to pay tribute to the fallen, including several family members of New York City first responders.

Penelope Bastidas, the widow of Lt. Mario Bastidas (a paramedic with the New York Fire Department), flew in from New York to cut the ribbon at the ceremony. Her husband passed away in 2017 from a 9/11-related illness.

Now that the permanent memorial is in place, the Rotary Club plans to create a perpetual wall of heroes, each year honoring a  local hero from the community.

Published September 11, 2019

Chaplain lifts spirits at Pasco Sheriff’s Office 

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Chaplain Brian Brown — with his open-door policy — is a confidant for staff members at the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.

He’s one of a dozen chaplains assigned across the department’s three districts who counsel law enforcement officials.

In addition to providing direct services, Brown also oversees the agency’s chaplains.

Chaplain Brian Brown has been a spiritual guide for those in the Pasco Sheriff’s Office for nearly a decade. He provides a shoulder to lean on — helping agency staff to perform their duties to the best of their ability. (Brian Fernandes)

“We minister to agency personnel and their immediate family,” said Brown, who has served in this role since 2011.

Brown’s work in ministry began more than two decades ago, and has taken him to Pinellas, Osceola and Seminole counties.

In the late 1990s, the Pinellas Park native was able to merge his faith with law enforcement by becoming a chaplain for the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

He and his wife moved to Pasco County in 2005 and successfully began their own church in Trinity the following year.

Over time, his focus began to shift toward serving the local sheriff’s office, he recalled.

“What I began to see was a strong need to bring faith and stability to the members of the agency,” the chaplain said.

He recalled hearing then-Pasco County Sheriff Bob White discuss, on television, the need for more deputies in the Holiday region.

Brown decided he wanted to guide deputies in dealing with the tension of their job, so they could engage well with citizens.

He recognizes the trauma and mental stress that agency members can experience frequently.

“How does that member process that? Where do they file that away inside of their brain?” Brown said.

To better understand their struggles, the chaplain rides along with deputies in their patrol cars, accompanying them on the field.

It gives officers the chance to open up about traumatic experiences or other difficulties.

Chaplains provide Critical Incident Stress Management training to help deputies deal with such issues.

During read-offs, deputies gather together throughout the day to discuss their agendas. At these events, Brown is present to offer prayer and words of encouragement before they head out on assignment.

Even agency officials who are not deputies receive the chaplain’s support.

In his position, Brown doesn’t typically interact with offenders. That’s the role of the detention chaplain, he said.

However, occasions arise at times at the scene of an incident, where he will try to help de-escalate a situation.

He describes the chaplain’s service as a “ministry of presence” – being readily available when a need arises.

This ministry is not about preaching; it’s about being a friend, Brown said.

When deputies want to have Bible discussions, he said, he is more than willing to engage.

He also has been asked by agency members to conduct personal functions, such as weddings, funerals, baby dedications and house blessings.

Brown met with Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco and other officials in 2015 to find a way to extend support to agency members’ families.

The chaplain reasoned: “If the family unit at home is struggling, then that deputy is coming to work, or that agency member is coming to work and they’re not on their A-game. How do we build a bridge from the home to the agency and the agency to the home?”

In response, the law enforcement agency created the Family Support Network. The network brings together the spouses and kids of agency members, to share their challenges with one another and empathize.

Those opportunities occur with programs such as Coffee and Conversation, and the Annual Spouse Academy.

These programs allow spouses to ask questions, address concerns, and listen to guest speakers who provide advice on trauma, finances and how to cope with having a loved one working in law enforcement.

There are also programs for kids, such as the Summer Blast camp, to help kids feel confident about having a parent in the agency.

“There was a day when there was a pride inside of you to say, ‘My daddy’s in law enforcement’ or ‘My mom is in law enforcement.’ Unfortunately today, that’s not always the case,” Brown said.

Brown’s schedule includes administrative work, connecting with local businesses, and fundraising — but he always makes time to speak personally with those family members.

The chaplain credits Sheriff Nocco for unifying the agency as a cohesive team.

As a unifier himself, Brown said he relishes in the more fun aspects of his work.

“For me, personally, it is an honor to get to invest in the lives of our members,” he said. “Sometimes you just need somebody to hang with you and encourage you — make you smile, laugh [and] make your side hurt a little bit.”

Published September 04, 2019

Chamber’s goal: Being there to meet members’ needs

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When the North Tampa Bay Chamber began two decades ago, it was known as the Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce.

In the beginning, it had 65 members and met in a garage.

Now, it has 734 members — with some based as far away as Brooksville and St. Petersburg.

It attracts a wide range of political and business leaders to speak at, and attend its monthly breakfasts and luncheons.

Hope Allen, president and CEO of the North Tampa Bay Chamber, believes chambers can help businesses thrive by advocating on their behalf, and creating opportunities for connection. (B.C. Manion)

The chamber also hosts numerous networking and learning opportunities each month.

It frequently celebrates with businesses through grand openings and ribbon cuttings, too.

Beyond that, the chamber seeks to help businesses as they navigate through government bureaucracy and learn about community organizations. They also act as an advocate on issues affecting businesses.

“We’ve come a long way in 20 years,” said Hope Allen, president and CEO, during the organization’s breakfast meeting earlier this month.

The chamber was born long before the area’s widely known developments, such as The Shops at Wiregrass, AdventHealth Wesley Chapel, Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, Tampa Premium Outlets, and Cypress Creek Town Center. And, that’s not to mention the scores of subdivisions, schools, restaurants, hotels and small businesses that now make up Wesley Chapel and nearby communities.

Over time, the North Tampa Bay Chamber has moved from the garage to an old flower shop to a storefront at The Grove, to its current home in Lutz.

It has shifted direction, too, Allen said.

“In 2013, the board of directors decided we were going to switch our focus from being ‘the parties, pageants and parades’ to the connector, the convener and the catalyst.”

“It was scary for everybody. We went from a nonprofit organization that was robbing Peter to Paul, to a membership-based business organization,” Allen said.

“We said we’ve got to stop what we’re doing with all these things, and really focus on the needs of our business community.

“So, we went on a listening tour. We went around. We visited all of our members.

“We said, ‘What is happening with your business? What is happening with Wesley Chapel? How can we help?’” Allen said.

The businesses responded: “They said we need somebody to be an advocate for our businesses, we need somebody to go to, when there’s an issue,” she said.

The chamber stepped up to accept the challenge, Allen said.

When someone broke a water line on State Road 54, for instance, the chamber set about to make sure it got fixed, Allen said.

Now, the chamber fields all sorts of calls.

“We know code enforcement now. I have his personal cellphone number now,” she said.

Creating a strong business network
“We’ve grown and evolved, and made ourselves important. We weren’t very important way back in the day, to the elected officials. We weren’t important to the region, as a whole, until everything started happening up here. Then, they were saying, ‘What is going on in Wesley Chapel?’

“We had built this amazing network of businesses and built this amazing network of community,” Allen said.

In 2015, it  combined with the New Tampa Chamber, keeping the Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce, but adding a tag line: Serving New Tampa.

“It was seamless,” Allen said. “We started to really grow. We started to really have the pulse on what was happening.

“Businesses were coming to us and they were saying: ‘We need this.’

“The developers would come to us, ‘We’ve got this land, we want to do something with it.’

Allen recalled that a man walked into the office, then at The Grove, seeking information about Wesley Chapel. He wanted to take a look around, so Allen took him on what she calls her first “windshield tour.”

It turns out that he represented the hotel developer who built the Fairfield Inn & Suites, in Wiregrass, which opened last year — three years after that initial visit.

The chamber often is involved in work that won’t come into fruition for years, Allen said.

She credits the chamber’s board, ambassadors and members for the progress the organization has made.

“What we have going on here is incredible. We all know it. We can feel it. This community is incredible. This business community is amazing. We support each other. We grow with each other. We cry with each other,” she said.

She and her staff are committed to serve chamber members, she said.

“We stand behind all of our members. We speak with one voice for our membership,” she said.

In 2018, the chamber rebranded itself as the North Tampa Bay Chamber.

“We didn’t leave Wesley Chapel behind, we just brought everybody into the arms of what is North Tampa Bay,” said Allen, who is passionate about the value that chambers can bring to communities.

Across the country, she said, “chambers of commerce are having the conversation now, ‘Are we relevant? Do you need a chamber of commerce in your community?’”

In her view, chambers “are here to serve a purpose, in every single community.

“If you’ve seen one chamber, you’ve seen one chamber.

“We’re all different. We’re all governed by our own board of directors. We all have our own programming that’s different.

“We’re not in competition with other chambers of commerce.

“If you can join every single chamber of commerce in the region, do it. Because you’re going to get something out of each and every one of them, “ Allen said.

Published August 28, 2019

These kits can help save lives

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A safety measure has been added to Pasco County high schools that’s aimed to help save lives during a mass casualty or active shooter situation.

The schools now have bleed control kits — designed to help prevent victims from bleeding out before emergency responders arrive.

Pasco County Schools and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office are participating in the ‘Stop the Bleed’ campaign, a national initiative that aims to train and empower civilians to act swiftly and effectively in trauma situations, such as active shooter incidents. As part of the campaign, the sheriff’s office and emergency personnel trained school nurses to use bleed control kits and other measures in initial trauma management. (Courtesy of Pasco Sheriff’s Office)

The kits contain items such as tourniquets, blood-clotting dressings and casualty extraction litter, CPR mask, disposable gloves, trauma shears and a bleeding control instruction card. The kits are assembled using military grade components and based on the standards established by the American College of Surgeons.

The vacuum-sealed kits are stocked in a LIFE Station, or a surface-mounted storage cabinet strategically located throughout schools, similar to AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators) and fire extinguisher cabinets.

Pasco County Schools, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, Pasco Tax Collector’s Office and Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point recently partnered on a fundraising drive to bring LIFE Stations and bleed kits to each public high school and technical school countywide.

Enough donations were raised for each school to receive one LIFE Station, which holds up to five kits, according to the sheriff’s office.

The initial cost for stations and kits was $250,000. Each kit costs approximately $600 to $700.

The school district and sheriff’s office are now requesting donations to purchase more kits for the county’s 83 middle and elementary schools. Efforts are also being made to bring them to places of worship and other public spaces.

Someone can die from bleeding out in 30 seconds to 45 seconds, so the effort is aimed at saving lives, Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco said, during an Aug. 13 media conference on the bleed kits initiative.

The bleed kits go beyond the scope of a shooting or other violent attack, the sheriff said.

Pasco County Schools’ high schools and technical schools have been stocked with bleed control kits to help stem the flow of blood in urgent situations. The kits are housed in a LIFE Station container, or a surface-mounted storage cabinet similar to AEDs and fire extinguishers. Shown here is a LIFE Station that sits inside the nurse’s office at Land O’ Lakes High School. (Courtesy of Pasco Schools)

“It’s not just about active shooters,” Nocco said. “It could be about a traffic crash. It could be somebody fell, and it hurt them and it cut them badly. Those are the types of things that we want to make sure we get out there, that this isn’t just because of that worst-case scenario, this could be about some injury that occurred any day.”

“Just having one (station) in each facility may not be enough, you may need multiple ones,” he said.

Before the school year began, the sheriff’s office and emergency personnel trained school nurses to use the kits and other life-saving measures in initial trauma management. The training was part of a broader “Stop the Bleed” national initiative, which aims to train and empower civilians to act swiftly and effectively in trauma situations, such as active shooter incidents.

Pasco School District nurses will be training other school employees how to use the kits, officials say.

Meanwhile, the sheriff’s office also is creating a bleed kit instruction video for students.

“It’s like teaching a child to call 911. Now, we’re going to teach them to stop the bleed,” Nocco said.

Pasco Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning said the LIFE Stations and bleed kits create “another layer of protection in the horrible event of something going on in our schools.”

Browning emphasized the urgency in such situations: “It’s a matter of seconds before an individual could bleed out, and we want to make sure that we have the tools there to help prevent loss of life.”

Since the Parkland school shooting claimed the lives of 17 students and faculty members in February 2018, the Pasco school district has bolstered its safety protocols through hiring armed safety guards, requiring stricter identification protocols, and installing more secure door locks, among other procedures.

“We work hard in keeping all of our children safe in this district,” Browning said. “I will say, we have been in a leader in the state where other districts have looked at us and said, ‘We want to do it very similar to the way you’re doing it.’”

He added, “Parents are just naturally concerned about the safety of their kids when we put them on our buses in the morning and get them to our schools, and they expect them to be safe, and I expect our kids to be safe.”

For more information, visit PascoSheriffCharities.org/stop-the-bleeding-2/.

Published August 21, 2019

Local donors help propel playground development

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A new playground designed to be welcoming for children with disabilities is planned for Wesley Chapel District Park, and the project got a big boost from some local donors.

The Wesley Chapel Rotary Club, AdventHealth Wesley Chapel and the Lennar Foundation are contributing a combined total of $125,000 to help Pasco County pay for the project.

Members of the Pasco County Commission and the Wesley Chapel Rotary Club display a check representing the Rotary Club’s contribution to help pay for a playground designed for children with special needs. The playground will be built at Wesley Chapel District Park. AdventHealth Wesley Chapel and the Lennar Foundation also contributed, bringing the total contributions to $125,000. (Brian Fernandes)

The Pasco County Commission recognized the groups and their contributions at their meeting on Aug. 6.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore has been involved in the initiative since the beginning.

He noted that he has spent quite a bit of time at the park, coaching teams.

“I realized there was a void of playground equipment for children with special needs,” Moore said.

So, he approached Keith Wiley, director of Pasco County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources, to discuss the issue.

Wiley shared the same concern.

So, the two men set out to find accessible playgrounds around the country, to serve as a model for an “inclusive” playground in Wesley Chapel.

Moore also reached out to the Wesley Chapel Rotary Club, AdventHealth Wesley Chapel and the Lennar Foundation to ask for their help to make the playground happen.

Wiley and members of those local organizations expressed their thoughts about being part of the project.

With a video and an unofficial schematic, Wiley explained some potential features of the playground.

The new amenity will be built next to the district park’s current playground and be connected with several sidewalk paths as easy access points.

The play space will have rubber flooring for safety. The surface also will offer a smooth transition for those moving about in wheelchairs.

Equipment will be spaced apart to provide enough room for mobility, and built at low levels to provide an easier reach.

This is an unofficial concept of elements Pasco County would like to implement for the new playground at Wesley Chapel District Park. The play space is intended to welcome children with special needs. It will be adjacent to the park’s other playground, with access between them. (Courtesy of Keith Wiley, director of Pasco County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources)

Some children may not be able to get out of their wheelchair, Moore said, so there are things they’ll be able to reach from a seated position — for them to play with.

Benches will be shaded by canopies and a butterfly garden is expected to be planted nearby.

“When we look at our brand promise, our brand promise is to feel whole,” said Tyson Davis, interim CEO of AdventHealth Wesley Chapel. “I can’t think of a better way to apply that brand promise in our community, than being a part of this project.”

Chris Casella, president of the Wesley Chapel Rotary Club, added: “It’s about helping them (special needs children) get together in the community with other children [and] have fun just like everyone else.”

Part of the contribution came from a grant from Rotary District 6950, which oversees the Wesley Chapel branch.

During the same meeting, commissioners approved a request from the Parks, Recreation and  Natural Resources Department to transfer $215,000 from the Connerton District Park budget to the Wesley Chapel District Park budget, to help pay for the cost of the universally inclusive playground.

With funds in place, the county expects to break ground on the project by early October.

Published August 14, 2019

‘Engage’ kids: Improve attendance

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Students typically don’t decide to drop out of school overnight.

And, there’s typically more to the story, when a student starts missing school on a regular basis.

At least those were a couple points of discussion last week during a Pasco County School Board workshop on the topic of school attendance.

Pasco County School Board vice chairwoman Colleen Beaudoin said students may be able to make up the work or tests they missed when they are out, but they also miss out on valuable learning opportunities and interactions with their peers. (File)

“Attendance is really a symptom of something else that is happening with our students,” said Angel Hernandez, senior supervisor of student support programs and services for the district.

Pasco County has been working to define what on-track, at-risk and off-track means, in terms of attendance, behavior, academic performance and discipline. In high school, the measures include GPA and progress of meeting graduation requirements.

The reasons students miss school can vary from being ill, to being on vacation, to choosing not to be there because they are disengaged, Hernandez told school board members.

“Disengagement is preceded by other things,” he said, which can range from poor academic performance, to mental health or other issues.

Some kids don’t want to be at school, Hernandez said. They say things like, “I don’t feel welcome at my school. I’m not being treated nicely.”

Not being at school has consequences, he added.

“We know the reality is that when our students are not in school, they are not engaged in school, and when they’re disengaged, they fall short of meeting that goal and graduating, and achieving success once they leave our system,” he said.

The district can track attendance through data, which allows it to make a closer analysis.

It can break down the data by grade level, demographic group and day, week or month.

Overall, 38,500 Pasco students were on track for the year in attendance, while 24,200 were at risk and 12,400 were off-track, Hernandez said.

The data reveals that there are no demographic groups that appear to be at greater risk than others, Hernandez said. “They’re all within the 90s,” he said.

He also noted that sixth grade has the highest attendance rating.

When the district looks at its attendance rates, it’s not just looking at unexcused absences, but excused absences, too.

School Board member Cynthia Armstrong, a former teacher, voiced concerns about the growing number of children missing school for family vacations.

“Parents would never think, in the past, about taking their kids out for a cruise just because they could get the cruise cheaper during the school year. That seems to be just a growing trend,” Armstrong said.

Pasco County School Board member Cynthia Armstrong said she’s noticed of a trend in recent years of more parents taking their children out of school for family vacations.

She asked: “How are we stressing to parents that attendance is important?”

A change to the district’s code of conduct allows students to make up any and all assignments, tests or related work of any excused or unexcused absence at full credit.

But, even when students can make up the credit, they’re still losing out, said School Board vice chairwoman Colleen Beaudoin.

“Even if they can show up later and make up the test, they’re missing learning opportunities. They’re missing the chance to interact with their peers, and they’re missing the group work, the projects,” Beaudoin said.

School Board chairwoman Alison Crumbley wondered what the district does to address the kids who are there, but are just not understanding the content.

Hernandez said efforts are being made to give students quizzes to help check how they’re doing, so extra help can be offered to help them catch up before the end of the course, when it’s too late.

Hernandez also noted that some schools have dances or other celebrations to encourage good attendance.

Along those lines, School Board member Megan Harding said it’s important for schools to be consistent.

She recalled students being excited about the prospect of attending a quarterly dance party.

“They didn’t make it the first quarter, but the second quarter came and there was no dance party; the third quarter came, and there was no dance party.

“There was no consistency,” Harding said.

“Is there going to be some consistency or accountability within our schools?” Harding asked. “Those little ones they really do want that dance party.”

Hernandez said it takes a team effort to tackle the issue.

“It used to be that this work happened through the lens of social work,” he said. “We’re trying to break away from that, as we build a compassionate schools frame for our sites, we want all of our other members to engage.”

Superintendent Kurt Browning said parents need to hear from the district level — not just the school level — about the importance of attendance.

He said he expects increased efforts to reach out to parents, through newsletters and periodic phone calls to emphasize how important it is for children to be in school.

The district has an obligation to make school engaging and to set high standards, and to help students to understand there’s a connection between being in school and being successful in life, Browning said.

Attendance by grade level
Pre-kindergarten: 88.1 percent

First grade : 93.7 percent

Second grade: 94.6 percent

Third grade: 94.8 percent

Fourth grade: 94.7 percent

Fifth grade:  94.8 percent

Sixth grade: 95.4 percent

Seventh grade: 94.9 percent

Eighth grade:  94.4 percent

Ninth grade:  94.8 percent

10th grade:  93.9 percent

11th grade:  93.3 percent

12th grade:  91.2 percent

Source: Pasco County Schools

Ways to combat school absenteeism

  • Recognize good and improved attendance
  • Engage parents and students
  • Provide personalized early outreach
  • Monitor attendance data and practice
  • Develop programmatic responses to barriers

Source: Pasco County Schools

Published August 07, 2019

Growth puts squeeze on schools

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As Pasco County Schools heads into another school year, crowded conditions are expected on several campuses within The Laker/Lutz News coverage area.

District officials are projecting that Wesley Chapel’s Wiregrass Ranch High School will operate at 141 percent of its capacity, with an estimated 2,310 students in a school designed for 1,633.

New construction continues to create the need for new schools or campus expansions in Pasco County. (Christine Holtzman)

Connerton Elementary School, in Land O’ Lakes, meanwhile, is projected to be at 120 percent of its capacity — with an anticipated 918 students at a school built for 762.

Other schools expecting big crowds are:

  • John Long Middle, projected at 123 percent of its capacity, with an expected 1,635 students at school designed for 1,327
  • Thomas Weightman Middle, projected at 116 percent of its capacity, with an expected 1,130 students at a school designed for 975
  • Cypress Creek Middle High, projected at 114 percent of its capacity, with an expected 953 students, in a space designed for 834

Chris Williams, the school district’s director of planning, outlined the district’s projected average daily memberships for 2019-2020 during a workshop with the Pasco County School Board last week.

Williams said a new Cypress Creek Middle School, expected to open in fall 2020, will provide relief for the area’s middle schools and Wiregrass Ranch High School.

That’s because the current Cypress Creek Middle High School is serving students in grades six through 12, in separate schools on the same campus.

Once the new middle school opens, it will have space for more students and high school space also will be freed to accommodate more students.

Williams said he also expects charter schools in the Wesley Chapel area to help absorb growth occurring there.

Sunlake High School, now operating over capacity, will get a 20-classroom wing, which is expected to be built this year. (File)

Even with boundary shifts, Wiregrass Ranch High’s enrollment will remain high, Superintendent Kurt Browning said.

“Keep in mind, there are more students moving in, right behind them,” Williams said.

“One thing we’re trying to avoid is a 10-period day,” Browning said.

Projects that are on the drawing board, or under construction, are expected to help the district address continued growth, Williams said.

Starkey K-8 is expected to open in two years, and is expected to provide relief to Odessa Elementary, which is expected to operate at 130 percent of its capacity this year.

Bexley Elementary and Sunlake Elementary are both adding classroom wings in the coming year, which will increase capacity at those growing schools.

Bexley, which opened in 2017, is projected to have 912 students at a school built for 906. The new classroom wing will accommodate 200 students.

Sunlake High School is projected at an enrollment of 1,994, at a school with a capacity for 1,698.

Although Connerton is expected to operate over capacity, Williams does not expect additional growth this year. Even so, he noted, “that is certainly something that we’re keeping an eye on because there’s obviously a lot of growth coming around that area.

The district’s high schools in Central Pasco and East Pasco all are expected to operate near or above capacity.

For instance, Zephyrhills High is expected to operate at 105 percent of capacity; Pasco High, at 117 percent of capacity; Cypress Creek Middle High, at 118 percent of capacity; Sunlake at 117 percent of capacity; and Land O’ Lakes High, at 95 percent of capacity.

Deputy superintendent Ray Gadd said the district expects a new magnet school, which will be built on the east side of the county, primarily will attract students from Wiregrass Ranch, Wesley Chapel, Pasco and Zephyrhills high schools.

The school will offer technical training programs and academic rigor. It is set open in 2022.

Major projects 2019-2020
Here is a look at major school construction projects planned in the 2019-2020, within The Laker/Lutz News coverage area:

  • Zephyrhills High School: Continuing campus-wide renovation
  • Land O’ Lakes High School: Wrapping up campus-wide remodel
  • Cypress Creek Middle School: Construction underway
  • Starkey K: Breaking ground within next couple of months
  • East side technical high school: Property acquired and design phase underway
  • Sunlake High: Adding a wing to increase capacity
  • Bexley Elementary: Adding a wing to increase capacity

Source: Pasco County Schools

Published July 31, 2019

Teen’s health struggle makes her a national voice

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When Mark and Kelly Dees of Land O’ Lakes decided to name their unborn daughter Hope, it was a sign of their unwavering optimism despite devastating news.

What was supposed to be an exciting reveal of their baby’s gender, soon became a moment of sadness after Hope was diagnosed with congenital heart defects.

Hope Dees, of Land O’ Lakes, sits next to her father, Mark, in the office of U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis in Washington D.C. The 13-year-old was among many youths who traveled to Capitol Hill to talk to lawmakers about policies to better help kids with health issues. (Courtesy of Amy Gall, BayCare Health System)

“We were told by the first doctor that she wouldn’t live to see her first birthday,” Kelly recalled.

But now, at age 13, Hope has far exceeded that grim diagnosis.

Not only has she undergone multiple operations, she also recently had the chance to make her voice heard by the nation’s lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

Still, it hasn’t been an easy path.

A fighting chance
After hearing the initial troubling news about their daughter, the couple went to St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital in Tampa, where a second diagnosis showed a brighter outcome.

Hope had a 92 percent success rate of survival, according to Dr. James Huhta, who still cares for her to this day.

She was born eight weeks premature with not only a weak heart, but a mild form of cerebral palsy, among other health complications.

At just 2 months old, she had her first open-heart surgery and spent several months recuperating at All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg.

Also, her esophagus did not connect to her stomach and had an abnormal connection to her trachea. This resulted in her being tube fed. Because of her complex situation, doctors waited until she weighed at least 4 pounds before performing corrective surgery.

Hope underwent two more heart surgeries, the second at 9 months old and the last at age 10. These were performed at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital.

She had other health concerns, too.

When Hope was 18 months, her parents noticed she was walking unusually.

Hope Dees, 13, stands alongside U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist while on a trip to Washington D.C. She and her parents spoke to Florida legislators about health care coverage for kids with medical needs.

Over the years, she has had to go through extensive physical therapy and orthopedic surgery on her left leg and foot.

“As she grows, the bone grows faster than the muscle,” Kelly explained. “The bone is growing and the tendon is pulling in because it’s not as long as the bone.”

Although Hope uses a leg brace for stability, she still may need another surgery.

Being in and out of hospitals all her life and getting to know medical staff, especially at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital, has become routine for Hope.

“This has always been her normal,” Kelly said of her daughter. “For me, it’s nothing but gratitude for all that they’ve done for her over the years, and all they continue to do.”

Speaking aloud for action
BayCare Health System and the Children’s Hospital Association have been working in conjunction for years to bring kids with medical needs to Washington D.C., for the annual Family Advocacy Day.

Amy Gall is a regional communications coordinator for BayCare Health System and has become Hope’s friend.

“We’ve been bringing a family up to meet with the legislators every summer,” Gall said.

Because Kelly is an advocate for protecting Medicaid for kids, Gall knew that Hope would be the perfect candidate to go to Capitol Hill with her family from June 24 to June 27.

Like dozens of other youth from around the nation, Hope had the opportunity to meet with congressional representatives from their respective states, and perhaps help to influence policy.

At Capitol Hill, Hope had the chance to meet with U.S. Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott. Also present were U.S. Representatives Gus Bilirakis, Vern Buchanan, Kathy Castor, Charlie Crist, Darren Soto, Ross Spano and Greg Steube.

Along with Hope, Mark and Kelly helped address concerns about stabilizing health coverage for kids.

“As they are adults, taking responsibility of their own health care, it’s important that they have the coverage that they need and the assistance that they need,” Kelly said, in an interview with The Laker/Lutz News, after the family traveled to Washington D.C.

She said she wants assurance that when kids like Hope become adults, that they are guaranteed coverage and not discriminated because of pre-existing conditions.

Hope is currently on Children’s Medical Services, which falls under the Medicaid program.

There is a premium to pay, based on income, but the program has been helpful, Kelly said.

However, she said, a child must reapply annually, or the coverage will lapse.

One year, Hope’s paperwork was late, and she was without coverage for a month.

Changing that system was a topic presented to Congress.

“Some families can’t afford to just abruptly lose their coverage,” Kelly added. “It’s important that they are able to continue to afford their own coverage or doctor visits. It’s not cheap.”

Kelly said the reception offered by the federal lawmakers was sincere, and they appeared to be willing to see what could be done to help kids like Hope.

Still pressing forward
Even after everything Hope has endured, she still views herself as an average teenager, her mom said.

When she has free time, she practices the piano and goes swimming. And as she prepares to enter eighth grade at Dr. John Long Middle School, she plans to sing soprano in the choir.

While she was visiting Rep. Ross Spano’s office, he showed the family a sign engraved with the words: “Never give up.”

Kelly said she’s inspired by the same mantra — and, she added, that her daughter, Hope, has taught her the true meaning of those words.

Published July 24, 2019