The Laker/Lutz News

Arthur Kirk

2015 marked by growth, loss, compassion

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New construction captured many headlines during the year 2015 in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area.

But, so did traffic issues and changes happening in area schools.

Other news chronicled setbacks and tragic losses. But, there were inspiring stories, too.

Tampa Premium Outlets, a 441,000-square-foot mall with 100-plus designer brand shops, opened in October off State Road 56, near the Interstate 75 interchange.

Saint Anthony Catholic School in San Antonio held a dedication ceremony in February, to celebrate the school’s new brick classroom building. (File Photos)
Saint Anthony Catholic School in San Antonio held a dedication ceremony in February, to celebrate the school’s new brick classroom building.
(File Photos)

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel embarked upon a $78 million expansion project – 2 ½ years ahead of schedule — to add 112,000 square feet and renovate 11,000.

Florida Hospital Center Ice, a new 150,000-square-foot sports facility, broke ground on Feb. 24. It will have an Olympic-sized hockey rink, four other rinks and the ability to accommodate other sports.

Lutz and Land O’ Lakes also saw their share of growth.

New homes and apartments are popping up along the State Road 54 corridor and along portions of Land O’ Lakes Boulevard.

A Lowe’s home improvement store opened on State Road 54, the Land O’ Lakes Community Park underwent a $2.3 million upgrade, and a new Pasco County Utilities Administration building opened off Land O’ Lakes Boulevard, also known as U.S. 41.

Just outside Dade City, an aerial adventure park, known as Tree Hoppers, began operation, and a number of new businesses have settled into the downtown historic district.

Of course, the new development has added to the area’s traffic jams, which won’t be resolved in the short term.

But, there are efforts being made to address the issue.

The Florida Department of Transportation is exploring solutions to address traffic flow at U.S. 41 and State Road 54. There are efforts to extend State Road 56 between Meadow Pointe and Zephyrhills, and, construction work continues at the I-75 and State Road 52 interchange.

On the education scene, there was a changing of the guard in top leadership at Saint Leo University, just outside Dade City. Dr. Arthur Kirk retired, and Dr. William J. Lennox Jr. assumed the top post.

Pasco-Hernando State College also has a new president, with Dr. Timothy Beard being named to the post after the retirement of Dr. Katherine Johnson.

This photo, taken in the 2014-2015 school year, gives an idea of the crowding that Wiregrass Ranch High was experiencing before it went to a 10-period school day. The school went to a staggered schedule this school year, to reduce the impacts of crowding.
This photo, taken in the 2014-2015 school year, gives an idea of the crowding that Wiregrass Ranch High was experiencing before it went to a 10-period school day. The school went to a staggered schedule this school year, to reduce the impacts of crowding.

The state college’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch also hit a milestone, announcing that it would be surpassing the 3,000-student enrollment mark.

On another front, Sanders Memorial Elementary School reopened in Land O’ Lakes, as Pasco County Schools’ first magnet school. It is a STEAM school, with a curriculum that focuses on science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics.

Pine View Middle School also launched an effort to become the public school district’s first International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme.

And, Wiregrass Ranch High School in Wesley Chapel began operating on a 10-period school day, to reduce the number of students on campus at the same time.

A more permanent solution to Wiregrass Ranch’s overcrowding is expected to occur when the district opens a new school for grades six through 12 that is being constructed on Old Pasco Road.

In another change, the district adopted new boundaries for a new elementary school in Wesley Chapel, off Mansfield Boulevard, which is scheduled to open next fall.

The new school will relieve significant overcrowding at Seven Oaks Elementary. The boundary shifts, which were controversial, will increase enrollment at Denham Oaks Elementary in Lutz.

In other school news, St. Timothy Catholic Church in Lutz opened the Saint Paul II Youth Center and opened a new elementary school to house Mother Teresa of Calcutta Catholic School.

Saint Anthony Catholic School also marked a milestone — dedicating a new brick classroom building in February.

While much of the news in 2015 was about progress and new beginnings, not all of the news was positive.

For instance, the GFWC Lutz Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club was forced to cancel its 36th annual arts and crafts show, because a sinkhole developed at Lake Park.

Chairman Ted Schrader, holding scissors, slices through the ribbon, as he and other dignitaries celebrated the opening of the Utilities Administration Building.
Chairman Ted Schrader, holding scissors, slices through the ribbon, as he and other dignitaries celebrated the opening of the Utilities Administration Building.

The annual two-day event, which has drawn about 30,000 shoppers a year, was the club’s biggest fundraiser. So, besides disappointing shoppers and about 300 vendors, the cancellation also will reduce the club’s ability to help scores of community organizations and charities.

The year also was marked by the passing of Land O’ Lakes cross country coach Kris Keppel and Laura Hauser, a former non-instructional employee of the year, who worked at Wesley Chapel Elementary before she became too ill to work. Both lost battles with cancer. And, car accidents claimed the lives of Pasco High student Jordan Ivie and Wesley Chapel High.

These deaths inspired demonstrations of respect, generosity, compassion and kindness — to help those grieving their loss.

In another show of support, the community of San Antonio rallied to hold a benefit for Lewis and Diane Riggleman, whose home was destroyed by fire.

Other uplifting moments involved Suellen Smith, the cafeteria manager at Zephyrhills High, who continues her tradition of collecting and giving away dress shirts, dress pants, gowns and dresses to help outfit young men and women for prom, homecoming, weddings and other special occasions.

Another big moment for 2015 involved Leigh Dittman, a Gaither High student from Lutz.

The 15-year-old recently reached a goal she set when she was 7: To raise $1 million for Shriners Hospitals for Children.

The young woman has a disorder known as Osteogenesis Imperfecta, also known as brittle bone disease.

During a recent interview, she said she was motivated to raise the money for Shriners because of how giving it has been to her.

“They are such an amazing group of people, and they’ve given me so much, with my life. It seemed like the right thing to do,” Dittman said.

Published December 30, 2015

Kirk leaves his mark on Saint Leo

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Whenever students, faculty, staff and visitors walk across the campus of Saint Leo University, they’ll see a permanent reminder of Dr. Arthur Kirk.

Kirk Hall, dedicated in a ceremony on Oct. 15, is the kind of academic space that Kirk, who retired in the summer of 2015, thinks is important for teachers and students to have.

It is equipped with tools designed to prepare teachers to make maximum use of technology, and what’s known about how students learn.

For instance, there’s a lab where education students can interact with avatars, enabling them to practice teaching techniques and receive immediate feedback.

The building is far different than the facilities that Kirk encountered when he arrived 18½ years ago, on the university’s main campus on State Road 52.

Dr. Arthur Kirk speaks at the dedication of Kirk Hall on Oct. 15. (Photos courtesy of Saint Leo University)
Dr. Arthur Kirk speaks at the dedication of Kirk Hall on Oct. 15.
(Photos courtesy of Saint Leo University)

At that time, enrollment was in decline, there were leaking roofs, and air conditioning equipment that was expected to last 20 years, was 37 years old.

In short, the list of challenges was long.

Kirk took the job anyway.

He was attracted to the mission of leading a Catholic, student-centered, university.

And, he said, “I also saw enormous potential, because it had some exceptional people that believed passionately in the institution.

“It looked like the right set of ingredients,” he said.

Kirk Hall is just the latest new building erected during Kirk’s tenure.

All together, the university added more than 1 million square feet of space and completely renovated four buildings, Kirk said.

But, buildings are just one sign of the university’s progress.

“I had an expression that ‘the anthropology was more important than the economics’,” Kirk said.

In other words, “it’s a lot easier to reverse the enrollment problems and financial problems and so forth, than it is to change the culture and build a culture that sustains excellence and success,” he said.

Cindy Brannen, past chair of the Board of Trustees; Beverly Kirk; Dr. Arthur F. Kirk Jr., president emeritus; Dr. Maribeth Durst, retired vice president of Academic Affairs; Charles ‘Chuck’ Fisk, retired economics faculty member (husband of Dr. Durst); Dr. William J. Lennox Jr., president, Saint Leo University; and Dennis Mullen, chairman, Saint Leo University Board of Trustees.
Cindy Brannen, past chair of the Board of Trustees; Beverly Kirk; Dr. Arthur F. Kirk Jr., president emeritus; Dr. Maribeth Durst, retired vice president of Academic Affairs; Charles ‘Chuck’ Fisk, retired economics faculty member (husband of Dr. Durst); Dr. William J. Lennox Jr., president, Saint Leo University; and Dennis Mullen, chairman, Saint Leo University Board of Trustees.

Kirk said he stayed at the university because he enjoyed creating that culture, and he enjoyed working with the university’s staff.

But, as much as he enjoyed that, he also knew there would be a time when it was time to go.

“There is the potential of staying too long. That’s not good for the individual or the organization. That was something that was on my mind for several years,” he said.

Before he left, it was important to him to complete a number of priorities, including the academic building — now called Kirk Hall.

“I really felt that all of the students and all of the faculty deserved that kind of academic facility,” Kirk said.

Over the years, there have been many gratifying moments, Kirk said.

He’s pleased by the results of a survey of the Best Colleges to Work For, conducted by The Chronicle of Higher Education.

“They survey the faculty and staff randomly at the institutions,” he said. “And, if you score in the top 10 percent of more than one of their 12 categories, you are placed on the honor roll for Best Colleges to Work For.

“We scored in the top 10 percent of 10 of the 12 categories,” he said.

Those results are particularly meaningful, he said, because of the progress that has been made.

Kirk Hall, on the University of Saint Leo campus, will serve as a permanent reminder of Dr. Arthur Kirk’s contribution to the university.
Kirk Hall, on the University of Saint Leo campus, will serve as a permanent reminder of Dr. Arthur Kirk’s contribution to the university.

“When we started, we had a fractured culture. So, to have that strength of culture, and organization and people that are very committed and happy to work there, was extremely important to me,” Kirk said.

Raising the university’s profile was important, too, Kirk said.

When he arrived at Saint Leo, he was surprised by how little people knew about the university.

“People who live in Dade City and drove by the campus all of the time didn’t know we were on 16 military bases in six states,” Kirk said.

“That was certainly a surprise and increased the challenge a little bit. Support follows understanding. If they don’t know who you are, where you are and what you do, they’re not going to give very much support,” Kirk said.

The retired university president said he would run into people in Tampa who would say: “Saint Leo, I’ve heard of it. Where is it?”

That has changed over time.

Now, for instance, Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn mentions Saint Leo University in the same breath as the University of Tampa, the University of South Florida and Hillsborough Community College, Kirk said.

Kirk also is pleased that core values adopted by the university in 1998 have become part of the university’s way of life.

Those values — community, respect, responsible stewardship, excellence, personal development and integrity — are taken seriously, Kirk said.

“Each one is defined as a personal expectation of everyone,” he said. “One of those core values is taught very intentionally in every single course in the curriculum, at every level.

The core values, he said, “have become very much part of the (university’s) DNA.

“When I walk around and hear students and faculty talk about the core values, and how important they are, I feel really, really good about that.”

Perhaps one of his most special memories, though, will be the one where, surrounded by family, students, faculty and staff, Kirk saw an academic building named in his honor.

“It was a joyous occasion,” Kirk said.

Published October 21, 2015

Saint Leo’s veterans department serves those who have served

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When military veterans were asked what type of information they wanted from a school or university, the top answer wasn’t information about graduation rates or estimates regarding student loan debt. It wasn’t even information about what credits earned in the military would be accepted by the institution.

Those were important, of course. But according to a U.S. Government Accountability Office survey, 62 percent wanted information about veterans support services more than any other option.

The Oct. 4 Mud Run raised money for Saint Leo University’s Veteran Student Services. The department provides support and resources to help military personnel adjust to student life. (Fred Bellet/Photo)
The Oct. 4 Mud Run raised money for Saint Leo University’s Veteran Student Services. The department provides support and resources to help military personnel adjust to student life. (Fred Bellet/Photo)

That answer isn’t surprising to retired Gunnery Sgt. Tedd “Gunny” Weiser, interim director for Saint Leo University’s Veteran Student Services. As a student who also served in the U.S. Marine Corps for 20 years, it makes perfect sense to him.

“That basically tells me that when these veterans come off of active duty, there’s a trust, a comfort level, in being able to speak with somebody who can not only talk the talk, but walk the walk,” Weiser said.

Having a department dedicated to their needs helps veterans transition from the structure of military life to the more self-directed schedule of a student.

That assistance can take many forms, Weiser said. The university can answer questions, help find scholarship opportunities, or simply provide a sounding board for their frustrations.

Just having a place to go can help Saint Leo’s veteran students adjust easier.

And there are plenty of students at the university who can use those services. At Saint Leo, 38 percent of the student body is active duty military or veterans, totaling around 3,500 students.

The vast majority of those students are not learning in Pasco County. For more than four decades, Saint Leo has taught on military bases and installations. They currently have 40 education centers around the country, including a dozen different military bases in the United States.

While the university’s relationship with the military stretches back for decades, the Veteran Student Services department is fairly new. Established in 2012, it’s the result of identifying ways to better assist its large veteran population, Weiser said, and was initiated by university president Arthur Kirk.

“He saw the need to establish a better relationship and better support for our veteran and active duty students,” he said.

That support includes a lot more than answering basic questions or maintaining a campus presence. The university has developed a free online course specifically for veterans and their families on how to make the transition from military to civilian life. It includes information on areas such as job interviewing and resume writing, networking, as well as identifying benefits and opportunities for spouses and other dependents.

The department also has its own financial resource for veterans where they can receive temporary assistance to help with financial obstacles to pursuing their educational goals. The Military Education Excellence fund provides gifts up to $500 to help pay for groceries, utilities or whatever expenses might occur.

This year, the fund has dispersed 32 gifts ranging from $160 to $500. They have another $26,000 in reserve to handle future requests.

The fund is donation-based, and Weiser said the department is trying a variety of methods to keep its coffers filled. One was the recent Mud Endeavor on Oct. 4 in Brooksville. The event, which features runners tackling a muddy obstacle course, is a tool different organizations can use to raise funds.

While Weiser isn’t sure how many people signed up to assist the department and how much money was raised quite yet, he believes it was only a modest total. Due to logistics, they only partnered with the event a few weeks before it occurred, so there was a lack of promotion and advertising.

Next year they plan to participate again, utilizing a longer lead-time to get the word out.

The feedback regarding the Veteran Student Services department has been excellent, Weiser said, both on campus and on the various bases where the university has a presence. He’s personally visited 21 of the 40 educational centers, and believes it’s important for students far from Saint Leo’s campus to see an actual person and feel like the department is in their corner and attending to their needs.

And they’re able to accomplish that by utilizing the strong bonds they all share, as well as their familiarity with the unique challenges and sacrifices active military and veteran students experience.

“I always preface this by saying I mean no disrespect to anybody with a clinical license or degree,” Weiser said. “But there’s a bond between veterans that no other modality or no other relationship can touch, particularly between combat veterans.”

Published October 22, 2014

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Saint Leo recognized again for student diversity

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Saint Leo University once again is celebrating its focus on student diversity, earning another top 100 ranking for minority students from Diverse: Issues in Higher Education magazine.

The St. Leo-based school is ranked ninth nationwide for its number of African-American students earning a bachelor’s degree, and 31st in the nation of the same minority group working on a master’s degree.

Saint Leo also earned high rankings for the number of African-Americans in is graduate-level and associate-level courses, as well as for all minorities seeking a bachelor’s.

“We are pleased to again be included in these significant rankings by Diverse,” said Saint Leo president Arthur Kirk, in a release. “At Saint Leo University, students live and study with counterparts from many backgrounds, places and cultures. We are proud of our inclusive spirit, which is consistently reflected in these rankings as a top degree-granting institution for minority students. We were particularly pleased that we increased our ranking in several categories.”

The Oct. 9 edition of the magazine identifies the top 100 undergraduate and graduate minority degree producers among U.S. colleges and universities. The data is compiled exclusively for the magazine by Victor Borden of Indianapolis. It’s part of his national report documenting the ability of American colleges to award degrees to African-American, Hispanic, Asian-American and Native American students.

Mail-in votes racking up for municipal elections

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In less than 24 hours, polls will open in Dade City, St. Leo and Zephyrhills to decide three local government races. And it’s not clear if any last-minute campaigning by any of the candidates may matter.

Mail-in ballots already represent an average 7 percent turnout in all three municipalities. St. Leo is leading all the cities and towns in Pasco County with a 17 percent turnout by mail so far with 50 of a possible 286 votes already registered as of late Sunday, according to the Pasco County elections office.

Zephyrhills, where Alan Knight is challenging Councilwoman Jodi Wilkeson, nearly 540 votes have already been mailed in, more than half the total of ballots cast in the 2013 election, where Kenneth Compton and Lance Smith retained their seats.

Dade City has had 240 ballots cast leading up to the final days before the election between Scott Black and Angelica Herrera, a little less than half of the total turnout the last time Dade City had an election in 2012 when Jim Shive and Bill Dennis were victors.

St. Leo, however, still has a long way to go. Unlike Dade City and Zephyrhills, where turnout is well below 20 percent, the most recent elections in 2013 represented a 51 percent turnout, with 157 of a possible 305 ballots cast. Donna DeWitt, however, will need to hope most of those are cast for hers as she caught in a race with Lake Jovita-supporter Raphael Davis.

Black, by far, has raised more money than any other municipal candidate in the county, with just under $10,000 through April 3. He’s out-raised Herrera more than 3-to-1, but has only slightly outspent her. Between March 22 and April 3, Black has raised just over $2,000. However, half of that has come from state Sen. Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, and marks the only contributions for Black this reporting cycle that came from outside Dade City.

Herrera raised $462.50 during the same time period, bringing her entire campaign war chest to just under $3,100. Herrera provided $100 of that herself, with another $100 coming from Saint Leo University president Arthur Kirk.

Fundraising in Zephyrhills remains neck-and-neck, with Wilkeson holding a slight $275 edge over Knight. Wilkeson raised $325 in the most recent reporting cycle, while Knight finished with $500. However, $200 of Wilkeson’s total came not only outside Zephyrhills, but outside Florida, while Knight picked up $150 from the Ferman family, and a $250 check from a Tallahassee political action committee representing firefighters.

DeWitt has maintained her position that she won’t do any fundraising for her seat, and will use her history and name-power to battle the $695 raised by Davis. His most recent donation came from a $100 cash donation made by Bill Brown of Dade City.

Polls open Tuesday.