The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

 

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League of Women Voters

Two Hillsborough women to be honored

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A Valentine’s Day ceremony and luncheon is being organized by the League of Women Voters of Hillsborough County to celebrate two women of distinction.

The 15th annual Lifetime Achievement Award Luncheon will honor Liana Fernandez Fox, Ph.D., and the late Dena Gross Leavengood, according to a posting on the Hillsborough County website.

The event will take place on the day that coincides with the 100th anniversary of the founding of the League of Women Voters.

Fox and Leavengood are being honored for their contributions to the local community, and to the state of Florida.

The Feb. 14 event is set for 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Bryan Glazer Family JCC, 522 N. Howard Avenue, in Tampa. Lorna Taylor, president & CEO of Premier Eye Care, will serve as emcee.

Fox represents the fourth generation of her Cuban and Sicilian ancestors in Tampa.

She began her career as a statistician for Florida’s State Road Department in 1969.

She retired as full professor of mathematics, after teaching for five years at Tampa Catholic High School and 33 years for Hillsborough Community College in Ybor City, and at the University of South Florida.

She pioneered the offering of online mathematics courses for HCC.

She currently is a trustee for the Tampa Bay History Center and president of the board of directors at Champions for Children.

Fox remains active at USF, serving on the Dean’s Advisory Council of Arts & Sciences, USF’s Women in Leadership and Philanthropy (WLP) and the USF Latin Community Advisory

Committee.

And, those are just a few of Fox’s accomplishments.

Leavengood, who passed away last year, was a Florida native and a marine biologist who was known for her community activism.

She graduated with a zoology degree from the University of Florida and received her Masters from USF. Her education and training launched a career that would span decades of activism and professional accomplishments. Dena was a tireless civic volunteer and was affiliated with countless organizations, including past president and board member of the League of Women Voters of Hillsborough County, the Athena Society, Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida and the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce to name but a few.

Registration for the event is available at HCLWV.org/laa.

Published January 08, 2020

Political Agenda 07/18/2018

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Sample ballots available
Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley has announced that sample ballots for the Aug. 26 Primary Election are available online at PascoVotes.com, and will be mailed to Pasco County voters on Aug. 6.

To view sample ballots online, voters need to know their voting precinct and party of registration.

Club meetings

Republican Club of Central Pasco
Mike Wells will be the guest speaker at the Republican Club of Central Pasco’s meeting on July 23. The club meets at Copperstone Executive Suites, 3632 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes. The social will begin at 6:30 p.m., with the meeting starting at 7 p.m. For more information, call (813) 996-3011.

Trinity Democratic Club meeting
The Trinity Democratic Club’s July 25 meeting will feature Chris Hunter, candidate for the district 12 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, and Amanda Murphy, candidate in district 16 seat in of the Florida Senate. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m., at Fox Hollow Golf Club, at 10050 Robert Trent Jones Parkway in Trinity. Doors open at 5 p.m., for dinner and happy hour (self-pay) with food and beverages available for purchase throughout the meeting. For more information, call (415) 609-3633.

Candidate forums

  • Idlewild Baptist Church, at 18333 Exciting Idlewild Blvd., in Lutz, will host a candidate’s forum on July 29 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • The East Pasco Democratic Club will host a political forum for all Democrats, Republicans and no party affiliation for local and state offices on Aug. 4 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Alice Hall Community Center, 38116 Fifth Ave., in Zephyrhills. The League of Women Voters will be there to register voters or update voters’ current registration. Light refreshments will be served.

Ice cream social
The Central Pasco Democratic Party will host an ice cream social on Aug. 12 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., at the Meadow Pointe Community Center, 28245 County Line Road. Those attending can meet other Democrats and talk with local candidates.

Endorsements

  • The West Central Florida Police Benevolent Association has endorsed Mike Moore, in his re-election bid for the District 2 seat on the Pasco County Commission, according to Moore’s campaign.
  • The Veterans Caucus; Alex Sink, former chief financial officer of Florida; and the Democratic Women’s Club of Florida, have endorsed Brandi Geoit in the race for District 4 seat on the Pasco County Commission, according to Geoit’s campaign.

Published July 18, 2018

Solar co-ops offer savings on solar panel installations

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Florida lags behind other states in producing clean, renewable energy from the sun. It doesn’t crack the top 10 in state rankings, even while being promoted nationwide as the Sunshine State.

But, Florida, along with other states across the country, is embracing solar power, and other clean energy sources, in ways that don’t always get noticed.

Workers install solar panels on a rooftop.
(Public Domain)

Solar panels, wind farms and electric-powered vehicles are among the technologies driving the alternative energy industry.

It’s often described as the quiet revolution, said David Sillman, coordinator for North Pinellas FL Sun, or Solar United Neighbors of Florida.

Sillman was the featured speaker on Jan. 22 at the Dade City Garden Club meeting. His topic was “Electrifying Future: Solar and Alternative Energy.”

The Solar Energy Industries Association has ranked Florida 13th nationally for solar capability, but also reported that the state has the third-highest potential for solar capacity.

Sillman said other rankings have put Florida as low as 18th.

“The good news is, we’re catching up,” Sillman said.

The Washington D.C.-based Solar United Neighbors and its chapters around the country are joining with other like-minded organizations and nonprofits, including the League of Women Voters and the Sierra Club, to promote solar power.

North Pinellas FL Sun and the local League of Women Voters, for instance, partnered in 2016 to launch the St. Pete Solar Co-op.

There also is the Hillsborough County Solar Co-op.

Currently, Sillman said he knows of no cooperatives in Pasco County.

But, solar cooperatives are simple to pull together. “All that is needed is volunteers,” he said.

It can be neighbors who want to install solar panels on their homes, or who simply want to learn more about the renewable energy industry. Joining a cooperative doesn’t require that a member install solar panels.

However, as a group, members can get bids from local solar companies that offer discounted rates on installation, Sillman said.

Costs over the past years have fallen, he added.

His costs in 2011 were about $25,000 for a three-bedroom, two-bath home. It might cost about $10,000 today, Sillman said.

According to Clean Energy Guide, costs for solar panels have dropped 99 percent, from $50 per watt in 1979 to 50 cents per watt in 2015.

Also, federal tax credits are available.

Typically, solar systems pay for themselves within 8 ½ years, and they come with 25-year warranties, Sillman said.

The life of a system can be from 30 years to 40 years, he added.

For information on solar energy and cooperatives, visit SolarUnitedNeighbors.org.

Published January 31, 2018