New leaders for board of trustees
The Pasco-Hernando State College District Board of Trustees elected Edward Blommel to serve as chair, succeeding Morris Porton. John Dougherty was elected as vice chair.
Blommel, of Dade City, is a retired regional manager for the Tampa Electric Company with 40 years of service and had served in the Florida National Guard.
He has served on the boards of numerous organizations and committees, including United Way of Pasco County, Pasco Regional Medical Center, Pasco Economic Development Council, Pasco Public Education Foundation, to name a few.
Dougherty, of Spring Hill, has 36 years of experience as a financial planner and business adviser. He is a managing member of Dougherty & Associates LLC.
He was elected to the PHSC Foundation Board of Directors in June 1997 and served a two-year term as chair from 2008 to 2010.
Porton, outgoing chair, was recognized with a plaque from the board for his leadership throughout his 2016-2017 term.
School supply lists online
School supply lists for the following local schools can now be found on TeacherLists.com. Parents can print the lists or, for the first time, look up the lists on a Smartphone in store aisles. TeacherLists.com automatically shares the lists with national retailers like Target and Staples.
- Academy at the Lakes, Land O’ Lakes
- Imagine School at Land O’ Lakes
- New River Academy, Wesley Chapel
- Seven Oaks Elementary School, Wesley Chapel
- Wesley Chapel Elementary School
More than 50,000 schools have lists posted to the website. Lists for more than 1 million classrooms are live on the site, and include required and requested items, as well as specific notes and clarifications from teachers and school staff. Parents also can print coupons for back-to-school savings.
Wiregrass Ranch open house
Wiregrass Ranch High School PTSA will host an open house on Sept. 6, at the school, 2909 Mansfield Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.
There will be a PTSA general assembly meeting at 5:30 p.m. Jersey Mike’s will be on-site selling its Philly steak sandwiches.
During the open house, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Parks Ford of Tampa will host “Drive One 4 Ur School.” The dealership will donate $20 for each test drive, up to $6,000 total, to the school. Funds raised will benefit teacher grants.
For information, call (813) 346-6000.
College Nights at PHSC
Pasco-Hernando State College will host three College Nights for prospective students in the Pasco County area.
- Sept. 13 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at Dade City campus, 36727 Blanton Road
- Sept. 14 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at New Port Richey campus, 10230 Ridge Road
- Sept. 15 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at Nature Coast Technical High School in Brooksville
Representatives from PHSC, and many public and private colleges, universities, other educational institutions, and the military will participate and provide residents in PHSC’s two-county area with a one-stop opportunity to get information on admissions, financial aid, and programs for post-secondary study.
High school students, parents and prospective students of all ages can attend.
Admission is free. For information, call (855) 669-7472.
Youth art contest
The Medical Center of Trinity will have its fifth annual “Expressions of Thanks” youth art contest.
Youth from kindergarten through 12th grade are invited to celebrate the service of all U.S. military veterans, those who currently serve our nation and their families, by submitting artwork, poetry or an essay. The deadline is Sept. 30.
Participants and their families will be invited to a reception on Nov. 6 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., and all entries will be on display Nov. 6 through Nov. 27.
Each participant will receive a recognition certificate. First place winners in each grade level will receive a $25 gift card. The grand prize winner will receive their choice of either a bicycle or an iPod Nano.
For complete rules and submission requirements, call (727) 834-4868, or email .
‘Helping hands’ pack meals for Africa
Representatives from the Diocesan Hispanic Assembly, Hispanic youth adults, and students from Tampa Catholic High School worked together to assemble more than 10,000 nutritious meals to send to Burkina Faso, Africa, through the Helping Hands program, on Aug. 20.
The food-packing program is a joint effort between Catholic Relief Services and Stop Hunger Now.
The West African country of Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in the world.
Catholic Relief Services gave a presentation on local and world hunger, followed by lunch, and an education session on Burkina Faso, prior to food packing.
For information, contact Vivi Iglesias, associate director of Hispanic Ministry, at (727) 341-6851.
Student leadership retreat
Pasco-Hernando State College hosted Ardian Zika as the keynote speaker at its annual Student Leadership Retreat. Zika addressed a crowd of 156 PHSC students and 82 staff, faculty and guests at Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel.
Zika is a member of the PHSC District Board of Trustees. He is a senior vice president and middle market banking director at ServisFirst Bank for the Tampa Bay region.
The retreat included interactive workshops, team activities, and opportunities to network and socialize with student and college leaders from all five PHSC campuses. The theme, “Learn. Live. Lead.,” was incorporated into all workshop and general sessions.
Credit union awards college scholarships
Declan Finora, a 2016 Pasco High School graduate, was one of three recipients of a $500 college scholarship from the Tampa Chapter of Credit Unions.
TCCU consists of 20 credit unions in Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Hernando counties.
All graduating high school members of the Chapter’s credit unions can apply for scholarships.
Religious studies department names chair
Dell deChant, a master instructor in the Department of Religious Studies at The University of South Florida where he has served since 1986, has been named the new chair of the department.
The author of three books, and more than 40 articles and chapters in professional publications, deChant is a specialist in religion and contemporary cultures, currently focusing on the contemporary ecological crisis in American popular culture and religion.
He has received the university’s undergraduate teaching award and USF’s undergraduate advising award twice.
deChant previously served as associate chair of the department from 2005 to 2012, and from 2015 to 2016. He also served as the undergraduate director and in various administrative posts in the department.
English classes
Tampa Bay Presbyterian Church, 19911 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., will offer ESL (English as a Second Language) classes on Tuesday mornings from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Classes are taught by native English speakers using several ESL and Bible study resources.
The classes are for beginners and intermediate-level speakers. The cost is $40 per semester, which covers a workbook and class materials.
Child care will be available.
For information and to register, call (813) 360-2077.
