The Laker/Lutz News

Kevin O' Farrell

Chalk Talk 04/13/2022

By

Kevin D. O’ Farrell (File)

Provost leaves position
Kevin D. O’ Farrell, provost, Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, announced his upcoming departure from Pasco-Hernando State College, in an email letter.

O’ Farrell has served PHSC for the past 12 years, and has been serving as provost for the last 5 1/2 years.

In his new role as chancellor for Career and Adult Education at the Florida Department of Education, he will provide leadership to the Career and Technical Education Programs, Workforce Education, and Adult Education throughout the state.

O’ Farrell’s last day with PHSC will be April 22, and he and his family will relocate to Tallahassee.

Financial literacy
Pasco County Schools in collaboration with community partners is recognizing Financial Literacy Month by offering virtual experiences and opportunities.

Visit Pasco County Schools on Facebook for student, home/community, and teacher workshops, contests, and more.

Student news

  • Hope Lelekacs and Joshua Luther, both of Odessa, have been initiated into the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, at the University of Tampa.
  • Payton VanNort, of Lutz, worked behind the scenes as an assistant stage manager in Marietta College’s (Ohio) production of “Reefer Madness.” VanNort is majoring in theater (BFA) directing track.

Kindergarten & VPK
Kindergarten registration for the 2022-2023 school year is on April 18, at all Pasco County elementary schools.

Requirements include:

  • The child must be 5 years of age by Sept. 1
  • Birth Certificate or other proof of birth date
  • Health Examination – HRS Form 3040
  • HRS Certificate of Immunization
  • Three different proofs of residency including deed or property tax assessment or lease, current utility bill, and an additional document supporting stated address such as auto registration, driver’s license, voter registration.

For more information on registration, visit tinyurl.com/p7txr4j4.

Pasco County Schools also offers free VPK (voluntary prekindergarten).

Children must be 4 years old on or before Sept. 1, to be eligible.

For information and instructions on how to apply, visit pasco.k12.fl.us, click on “News” and search for “VPK.”

Duke Energy grants
The Duke Energy Foundation and Duke Energy Florida have awarded more than $641,000 in grants to support a wide range of kindergarten through 12th grade initiatives focused on energy and engineering education, as well as programs serving underrepresented, low-income and diverse students, according to a news release.

This year’s grant recipients range from local education foundations to community organizations that provide unique learning opportunities for students, especially those with diverse backgrounds and abilities, to explore STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) concepts.

In The Laker/Lutz News coverage area, the Pasco Education Foundation Inc., was the recipient of $25,000. This foundation partners with Pasco County Schools, and the Energy and Marine Science Center (EMC) to help improve STEM curriculum and enhance its reach in providing the opportunity for underrepresented, low-income Title I students to visit the EMC.

Statewide, the Consortium of Florida Education Foundation received $50,000, to support local education foundations in Duke Energy Florida’s footprint in understanding the local landscape of career/technical education, college/career readiness and STEM education needs, and increase knowledge of capacity building tools for organizational stability, the release says.

In total, six organizations in the Tampa Bay area received grants; in the Greater Orlando area, nine; and in the Greater Tallahassee/Gainesville area, six.

Financial aid tip
As college students register for classes this fall, the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA) encourages students to consider taking more classes.

A heavier course load helps to cut the total cost of college, because students will finish their technical or degree program more quickly, a KHEAA news release says.

A full-time load for undergraduates usually is 12 credit hours per semester.

Associate degrees usually require 60 credit hours to finish; bachelor degrees, 120 hours.

At 12 hours each semester, students will need five semesters to finish an associate degree and 10 semesters to finish a bachelor degree.

By taking 15 hours per semester, a student can finish an associate degree in four semesters and a bachelor degree in eight semesters, the release says.

Many colleges do not charge students more for 15 hours than they do for 12 hours.

The expanded course load may save students thousands of dollas in tuition and fees.

KHEAA is a public, nonprofit agency that helps to improve student access to college, and provides information about financial aid and financial literacy at no cost to students and parents.

For more information, visit KHEAA.com.

Arts center deemed ‘jewel’ in community

By

It’s grand-opening celebration may have been delayed, but enthusiasm for Pasco-Hernando State College’s (PHSC) Instructional Performing Arts Center was riding high during a recent ribbon-cutting ceremony at the facility.

Pasco-Hernando State College Dr. Timothy L. Beard, along with Celyse Dahdal, president of the PHSC Student Government Association, share the over-sized scissors during the Instructional Performing Arts Center (IPAC) ribbon-cutting. Marilyn Pearson-Adams, center, chair of the PHSC District Board of Trustees, Dr. Kevin O’Farrell, provost Porter of Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, and Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore were among other dignitaries and special guests. (Fred Bellet)

The performing arts facility, at 8657 Old Pasco Road in Wesley Chapel, opened quietly in the summer of 2021.

It provides opportunities for students to prepare for careers in the performing and technical arts. It also offers a venue for performances and creates a new place for the community to enjoy the arts.

The center’s grand-opening celebration was held on Jan. 7 — belatedly because of COVID-19 concerns.

The event included a ribbon-cutting, a reception and tours of the facility.

It also featured remarks from numerous speakers, including Dr. Timothy Beard, president of Pasco-Hernando State College; Mike Moore, the District 2 representative on the Pasco County Commission; Cynthia Armstrong, chairwoman of the Pasco County School Board; Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent of Pasco County Schools; Dr. Kevin O’Farrell, provost at PHSC’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch; Celyse Dahdal, president of PHSC’s student government; and, Lauren Murray, executive director for the Instructional Performing Arts Center.

Bringing the project to fruition involved the efforts of many people.

Armstrong, however, singled out college leadership and the school district’s deputy superintendent Gadd for “thinking out of the box.”

An obviously happy Lauren Murray, executive director for the Instructional Performing Arts Center, makes her way to the microphone to talk about the important role that IPAC will play in students’ lives.

Gadd was persistent in the pursuit of the project, she said, noting he wanted to know: “How can we make this a reality? How can we find a place to build it? How can we incorporate it into our school system?”

For his part, Gadd recalled the supersized role played by former Florida Speaker of the House Will Weatherford.

Gadd recalled: “Speaker Weatherford called me on the phone one day and he said, ‘Ray, we need some kind of performing art theater or arena in Pasco County. Can you help me out?’”

The Instructional Performing Arts Center is an eye-catching sight.

Gadd said he went about collecting floor plans from various performing arts venues and estimating costs.

He gave Weatherford a breakdown: “This is what we can get for $20 million. This is what we can get for $30 million, this is what we can get for $60 million…”

In the end, Pasco County Schools donated a 6-acre parcel to PHSC, on the campus shared by Cypress Creek High School and Cypress Creek Middle School.

And, the state college covered the cost of the $20 million project, and PHSC also is responsible for the facility’s operations.

Gadd praised Harvard Jolly and Creative Contractors for using their combined talents and expertise to create a facility that he calls “a beauty.”

“This is a jewel in this community,” Gadd said.

Wiregrass Ranch High School students Marissa Adams, 16, and Alieah Diaz, 15, both members of the Principal’s Quartet, listen to Dr. Timothy Beard, president of Pasco-Hernando State College, as he addresses the crowd.

The deputy superintendent added: “This is an example of what happens when government works together.”

Armstrong told the crowd she toured the building last year and left feeling impressed.

Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent of Pasco County Schools, played a key role in bringing the vision of the performing arts center to fruition. He described the facility as a ‘jewel’ in the community.

The design is both creative and cost-efficient, she said.

“You walk into the classrooms, and you see how they convert into dance studios and music studios and bigger practice areas. It is just truly amazing that the students that go here can get all of their education, including their specialties, right in one building.

“And then, the theater itself is just amazing,” she said, referring to the 444-seat Weatherford Theater.

The facility not only enhances the school district’s performing arts programs, Armstrong said, but also gives students who are interested in those pursuits an opportunity to remain local, if they wish to continue their education in the arts.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore took a little trip down memory lane, as he addressed the crowd.

“This hits home with me because I was a communications major at Polk Community College, which is now Polk State College.

“I actually interned at a facility very similar to this. I spent my time learning how to work lighting, do the soundboard, being a stagehand and helping those performers behind the scenes.”

Saying there is no other facility like IPAC in the immediate area, Moore thanked area lawmakers for helping to secure the funding for the project.

Speakers from PHSC also shared their enthusiasm about the opportunities that IPAC presents.

The facility offers three Associate in Arts (AA) performing arts curriculum pathways for students who plan to transfer to a Florida public university to complete a bachelor’s degree in dance, theater or music.

It also offers an Associate in Science (AS) degree in digital media and multimedia technology with six college credit certificates.

The 36,000-square-foot facility includes a fully digital system, with the latest in lighting and sound support.

Freelance photographer Fred Bellet contributed to this report.

Published January 26, 2022

Celebrating history, through art

By

Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) kicked off 2022 and the first celebration of PHSC’s 50th anniversary, with the unveiling of the college’s first commissioned artwork.

Artist S. Blake Harrison explains the process he used to create a mural commissioned by Pasco-Hernando State College that incorporates much of Wesley Chapel’s history, during an unveiling of the piece at the college’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch. (Fred Bellet)

A reception and ribbon-cutting were held to showcase “Double Branch,” a 4 foot by 16 foot work, by artist S. Blake Harrison.

The program featured Dr. Timothy Beard, college president; Dr. Kevin O’ Farrell, provost at the Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch; Madonna Jervis Wise, a local historian and author; Dr. Lisa Richardson, executive director of the Pasco-Hernando State College Foundation; Andrew Beman-Cavallaro, associate director of libraries for the college; Janet Schalk, a PHSC librarian; and Harrison, the mural artist, who is based in Micanopy.

The college’s foundation paid for the mural, which honors the history and progress of Wesley Chapel, and commemorates PHSC’s golden anniversary.

Local historian Madonna Jervis Wise gave the audience a glimpse of Wesley Chapel’s colorful history. She included a photograph of Bruce B. Downs, the man for whom a now-heavily traveled road in Wesley Chapel was named. At one point, long before the community’s burgeoning growth, Bruce B. Downs Boulevard was known as ‘the road to nowhere.’

The 4 foot by 16 foot mural is believed to the largest mural in Wesley Chapel, O’ Farrell said, in his opening remarks at the Jan. 5 ceremony. It is displayed on a wall in the fourth-floor lobby of Building D, on the Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, at 2727 Mansfield Blvd.

The provost said much research and thought went into the creation of the mural, which includes elements inspired by “Images of America: Wesley Chapel,” a local history book written by Madonna Jervis Wise.

The author said that unlike Zephyrhills and Dade City — which both have city governments, historic buildings and established town centers — Wesley Chapel offered no clear place for her to begin her research.

So, she relied on her background in genealogy to help her find descendants of families with deep roots in Wesley Chapel.

She began her quest by tracking down Marco Edward Stanley, of Gainesville, who arranged for Wise to interview his mother, 95-year-old Lillie Sapp Stanley.

That interview led to others, and ultimately Wise was able to tell the story of the community. Her book chronicles the various names the community has been known by through the years; its turpentine, lumber, moonshine and ranching industries; where the residents attended church, where they went to school and what they did for fun.

Dr. Kevin O’ Farrell, provost at the Porter Campus, discusses some of the elements featured in the mural. The work was done on plywood, using acrylic paint.

“We relied so heavily on Madonna’s work and her historical research, and that really inspired Blake to take those images and take those concepts and put together something that is as beautiful as this large, 4-by-16, piece of commissioned art,” O’ Farrell said.

Andrew Beman-Cavallaro, associate director of libraries, credited librarian Janet Schalk for working closely with Harrison on the project.

The artist expressed gratitude to Schalk for her guidance and to Wise for her work to preserve local history.

He said the mural’s panels reflect a narrative through art, featuring the area’s natural beauty, including trees and wildlife; its industry, including moonshine and trains; and its educational history, including the Porter campus and the college’s new Instructional Performing Arts Center, known as IPAC.

Dr. Timothy Beard, president of Pasco-Hernando State College, a featured speaker during the celebration, praised the mural created by artist S. Blake Harrison, extolling its size, vibrant colors and its potential to be a source of inspiration for others.

The college president was enthusiastic about the result of Harrison’s work.

“This is just an awesome piece of art,” Beard said, marveling at its size, vibrant colors and ingenuity.

“This event is the very first event associated with our 50th anniversary, to be celebrated officially July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023,” Beard said.

“Certainly we’ve come a long way,” the college president continued, “from having classes in backrooms, storefronts and churches.

“At PHSC, we promote and support many innovative, worthwhile programs that advance health, science and technology. But most recently, we have also embraced the arts, as never before,” Beard said.

He pointed to the college’s newly opened IPAC, as an example, of that new commitment.

The facility is dedicated to instruction in the performing arts, including music, theater and dance, as well as instruction in the digital arts.

It, too, is located in Wesley Chapel — next to Cypress Creek High School and Cypress Creek Middle School — at 8657 Old Pasco Road.

Published January 19, 2022

Center Ice’s Gordie Zimmermann hailed by local chamber

By

It wasn’t all that long ago that there was no AdventHealth Center Ice in Wesley Chapel.

And, if the facility — which has the largest ice rink in the Southeastern United States — had not opened in 2017, the community would have missed out on all sorts of big events and special occasions.

For instance, National Hockey League prospects would not have skated into Pasco County to show fans and pro scouts their skills in shot-making, blocking, toughness and teamwork.

The center, at 3173 Cypress Ridge Blvd., would not have been used as the training grounds for the gold medal-winning 2018 U.S. Olympic women’s ice hockey team, either.

Shawn Element, No. 83, of Victoriaville, Quebec, was invited by the Lightning to play on the team of prospective players. He battles for possession with Carolina prospect Blake Murray, No. 85, of Canada. (File)

Plus, it wouldn’t house the Women’s Sports Herstory Museum — which is dedicated to female pioneers in hockey.

And, the coveted Stanley Cup never would made a stop there — thus, depriving the young hockey players who had the chance to see it, of that thrilling and inspirational experience.

The list of big events and special moments at the ice center goes on and on.

And, it was Gordie Zimmermann, the facility’s owner manager partner, who had the vision for Center Ice, and its enormous possibilities.

He received recognition for the center’s contributions to the economy and quality of life in Wesley Chapel, during the North Tampa Bay Chamber’s Dec. 7 breakfast meeting.

Michael Berthelette, the chamber’s outgoing chairman, singled out Zimmermann by presenting him with the Chairman’s Award for 2021, during the meeting at the Porter Campus of Pasco-Hernando State College.

“I really took some time to really think about who I wanted to honor with my chairman’s award for 2021,” Berthelette told those gathered.

He said Zimmermann demonstrated that the ice center could achieve its goals, despite the challenges.

He told Zimmermann the award is “in recognition for your contributions toward a broad range of economic development activities that demonstrate substantial investment in our community, your economic development efforts have required agile planning and a comprehensive approach to implement solutions that have made the North Tampa Bay community a more attractive place to live, work and play.”

Zimmermann was surprised by the honor.

He told the crowd that he thought he was just joining some of his staff for breakfast at the chamber meeting.

In accepting the award, Zimmermann said: “You guys have been awesome. It’s been a great community.

“I just want to thank the whole community, all of the businesses, the educational systems, my staff — unbelievable staff.

“The chamber has been great. I just really appreciate it. I didn’t expect this, today,” Zimmermann said.

Hope Kennedy, president and CEO of the chamber, recalled the initial reaction when chamber leaders heard about the plans for the ice center.

“We all looked out there and saw a mud swamp. So, we were all a little bit nervous about this vision and dream,” Kennedy said.

“But to see it all happen — and what it has done for our community. It has put Wesley Chapel not only on the regional map, (but) the international map.

“So, Gordie, I’m very proud to stand by you and your whole team that you’ve built there.

“It’s exciting,” Kennedy said.

Then, as the chamber’s top executive, Kennedy also had the opportunity to present a special award.

In choosing a recipient for the President and CEO’s Award, Kennedy said she always seeks “to recognize an unsung hero that goes above and beyond.”

She then detailed some of the ways that this year’s honoree has been instrumental to the chamber’s success.

“He has added tables. He has taken away tables. He has put out cones for me. He’s lugged in food for me,” Kennedy said, adding that he’s also kept coffee from spilling all over the place.

Then, turning to the recipient — who did not know that he’d been selected — she said: “You have done so much for me and this organization over the last five years. I couldn’t think of anybody better to present this award to, than to you, Duane Powell.”

The campus facilities manager for PHSC was obviously stunned — but also delighted — by the news.

Like Zimmermann, Powell also thought he was just coming to the meeting for breakfast, said Kevin O’ Farrell, provost of PHSC’s Porter Campus.

Published December 29, 2021

North Tampa Bay Chamber reflects on 2020, future goals

By

Like every business and organization, the North Tampa Bay Chamber has faced challenges and unpredictability — in the midst of the COVID-19 global pandemic.

A public health crisis, government shutdowns and a flattened economy caused the chamber to pivot, and change the way it delivers services during 2020, so it could continue operations, while remaining safe.

It caused the chamber to shift to virtual operations, to begin offering meetings and webinars, and to provide assistance remotely — aimed at helping its members navigate through the pandemic.

Chamber leaders discussed the chamber’s response to the pandemic, during the organization’s annual business meeting held via Zoom on Dec. 1.

Kevin O’Farrell, the outgoing chairman of the board, said “we’ve really had to reimagine all of our events and our programming, our activities, to continue to push the organization forward.”

The pandemic, he said, has served as a reminder of “how important it is for individuals and organizations, in times of crisis, to truly double down on their values. I think, as a chamber, that’s exactly what we’ve done.”

He then detailed how the chamber focused on its four core values of integrity, innovation, inclusivity and collaboration.

“We had to be inclusive, bringing in new members and new individuals, to give us new voices, to make sure that we’re addressing all of the needs of all of our members — not leaving anyone behind, or on the sidelines, and working together in a collaborative fashion, so that together, we are the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce.”

Hope Kennedy, president and CEO of the chamber, told members: “So, things changed. Everybody changed. But, what didn’t change was our focus. The main change that we had as an organization was our mode, in which we delivered the information to  you, and the mode in which we were able to connect.

“We were still able to mark things off from our strategic plan this year. The committees were still able to come together, albeit virtually, and really nail down some of (the) things we had on our strategic plan for this year.

“We did continue some of our programming. We’ve been able to stay a trusted resource for our members throughout this year, using our digital component.

“Fortunately, for us, we were ahead of the curve.

“We had switched over to voice-over IP phones several years ago. Our database has always been in the cloud. Our website has always been in the cloud. So we were able to take the organization mobile, within three hours of the governor’s list of nonessential workers.

“We could have fought that and stayed open, but for the safety of our staff, we took the organization home,” Kennedy said.

Starting to go live again, in 2021
The chamber plans to begin bringing back some hybrid events in 2021, Kennedy said. That will start with a Final Friday event in January.

“We will be hosting those all at outdoor locations,” she said.

There also will be some hybrid, in-person events, beginning in February, including a Zoom option, Kennedy added.

“Obviously, our No. 1 priority as a chamber is your safety, and the safety of your employees and your businesses. So, we want to be sure that we are keeping you safe, as we all do business,” she continued.

Michael Berthelette, the new chairman of the board, talked about some goals for 2021.

The chamber will seek to provide visionary leadership — which involves developing human capital and partnership skills to solve business challenges, he said.

It also expects to roll out a mentorship program, most likely during the second quarter of 2021.

Plus, it plans to create a committee or subcommittee focused on diversity, inclusion, equality, social justice and human rights, he said.

And, the chamber will pursue accreditation from the U.S. Chamber, a goal it intended to pursue in 2020, but was sidetracked by pandemic disruptions.

“At the chamber, we come to work every day because we believe in the power of business as a problem-solver, and as a trusted partner, as a change agent and as a community builder,” Berthelette said.

He also raised the issue of systemic discrimination.

“COVID has shone a light on the systematic racism and inequalities across America, and across the world. COVID didn’t create those, (but) certainly exacerbated them.

“Staff of color should not carry all of the political risk of speaking up and carrying the flag of change,” Berthelette said.

He urged chamber members to act in support of others.

“Identify others whose voices might be marginalized, might not be having a privileged experience,” Berthelette said, and identify ways to support them.

“Let’s all engage,” he said. Expanding opportunities ultimately makes both companies and individuals, stronger, he added.

Kennedy reported that the chamber faced its own cutbacks, in order to remain in the black.

It experienced a decline in membership, too, she said, primarily caused by business closures.

“Those are things that we can’t control, and we’re going to do our best to help businesses that are struggling throughout this,” she said. “We’ll continue to find new and innovative ways that are going to bring you programming that’s going to help you grow your business throughout the year.

“Even if we’re not meeting in person, we’re still working for you. We are working in Tallahassee and we are working in Washington D.C., as well, to continue our pro-business legislation.

“While the mode did change, the mission did not,” Kennedy said. “We are still laser-focused on growing this business community.”

North Tampa Bay Chamber board

Chairman of the Board
Michael Berthelette: Platinum Salon

Returning board members:
Dr. Kevin O’Farrell: Pasco-Hernando State College – Porter Campus (outgoing board chairman)
Javan Grant: SLATER | GRANT
Aaron Banks: Furr, Wegman & Banks Architects P. A.
Connie Bladon: AdventHealth Wesley Chapel
Karen Tillman-Gosselin: Karen Tillman-Gosselin – Berkshire Hathaway Property Services
Stacey Capogrosso: Pasco Education Foundation Inc.
James Carner: Carner Credit Card Consulting LLC
Kartik Goyani: Metro Development Group LLC
Roberto Hiller: Signs of Tampa Bay doing business as Signarama New Tampa & YESCO Tampa
Justin Keeney: Regions Bank – Commercial Banking
Craig Alan Miller: Full Throttle Intermedia
Sally Seymour: Medical Center of Trinity
Troy Stevenson: Acme on the Go
Roberto Saez: Design and Construction Innovations LLC
Cheryl Visalli: Time For Wine
Stacey  Nance: Sparkman Wharf

New board members:
Angelique Lenox: Vistra Communications
Tom Garthwaite: Morton Plant North Bay Hospital

Board secretary (non-voting)
Hope Kennedy: North Tampa Bay Chamber, president and CEO

Published December 30, 2020

Safety, flexibility are the bywords as college students return

By

With COVID-19 safety protocols in place and enrollments either declining or flat, Pasco County’s colleges and universities have welcomed back students for the fall semester.

Whether it was Saint Leo University or the campuses at Pasco-Hernando State College, most courses were offered online to keep class sizes small. Zoom video conferencing technology was utilized for full interactivity, while hybrid/in-person attendance demanded face masks, hand-sanitizing and social distancing.

Students gather with face masks at Saint Leo University. (Courtesy of Renee Gerstein/Saint Leo University)

Seat configurations were redone. Plexiglass shields were installed in high-transaction, high-touch point areas. Some student activities were abandoned, while others were offered virtually.

“The keyword for everyone these days is flexibility,’’ said Saint Leo Senior Vice President Melanie Storms. “Of course, there will be a learning curve. But we’re very comfortable with what we’re doing.’’

After a record-breaking 2019, which featured a 40% enrollment increase, Storms said Saint Leo will have the same number of new students (1,000) as last fall. There is a 30% reduction in new international students and a 10% decrease in students living on the main campus. Enrollment in Saint Leo’s online programs are up 16% over last year.

“We got out early with a plan and were very transparent with our students about what we were planning to do,’’ Storms said. “We often talk (in the administration) and wonder what our enrollment might have been had there not been COVID. We might have seen another pretty substantial increase. We believe the fact that we have held steady is a reflection of how strong our new class is and the flexibility we’re providing them.’’

Saint Leo students could choose their educational method — either hybrid (alternating in Group A and Group B between in-person and Zoom), connected (exclusive Zoom in a scheduled class period with other students) or online.

Regardless of the choice, all Saint Leo students are required to have at least one class fully online, so overall traffic at campus sites could be kept at acceptable levels (maximum 50% of the normal population, maximum of 15 students in all classes).

“It’s a lot to take in, but we have a team solely dedicated to analyzing this and manipulating the boxes,’’ Storms said. “We went through the classrooms and determined where we’d need to be for comfortable occupancy. We backed that into the scheduling software and worked to make sure students would have the right mix and be optimized in their educational experience.

Saint Leo University’s social distancing reminder.

“We’re all doing things we’ve never done before. Many students are just navigating their lives and saying, ‘Sometimes I’m on Zoom, sometimes I’m online, sometimes I’m in the classroom.’ It’s interesting that one-third of our students selected connected (Zoom), but our housing is only down 10%. So we anticipate a lot of students coming to live with us who are (solely) studying in the Zoom capacity. It’s a new world. We’re getting our feet wet and making adjustments on the fly.’’

At Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus, in Wesley Chapel, and its East Campus, in Dade City, course offerings will largely be online or Zoom. There are notable exceptions, particularly in the health sciences programs, where students need access to laboratories and specialized equipment or disciplines, such as welding or law enforcement.

Porter Campus Provost Kevin O’Farrell said his enrollment was down 24% from last fall during a recent snapshot, but he was optimistic about an upswing due to students making last-minute decisions.

“I know the word ‘unprecedented’ has probably been overused, but there’s no other way to describe the challenges faced by all levels of higher education,’’ O’Farrell said. “At the same time, I’ve been so heartened by the level of innovation and ingenuity everybody is using. I always say, ‘Don’t let a crisis go to waste,’ and by that I mean, it’s an opportunity to rethink all of our processes and problem-solving.

“We went to a virtual waiting room for students to utilize time with advisors. I think that’s going to become a standard now. When the pandemic goes away, I think people would rather wait at home to speak with an advisor instead of sitting in the lobby. We’ll go back to some things, but we’ve found better ways to do other things.’’

At the state college’s East Campus, Provost Ed Goolsby said his faculty has adapted well to working remotely, although some prefer occasionally utilizing their on-campus office.

“They can work from there, but they just won’t be teaching on campus for the most part,’’ Goolsby said. “There will always be a place for the face-to-face teaching and I know some students want that level of accountability. We’ll just have to see what the environment is moving forward to the spring semester and beyond.

“I think we have shown — and we have been forced to show — that education can adapt. We have seen the words ‘fluid’ and ‘pivot’ quite a bit, but those are words that describe what we need to do,” he said.

By Joey Johnston

Published August 26, 2020

Collaboration creates connectivity

By

The opening of the State Road 56 Extension between Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills has a personal benefit for Alora Butler, a student at Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch.

She said the new road segment will cut her 30-minute commute to school in half.

Greg Lenners, general manager of The Shops at Wiregrass, expects to see an uptick in business, as the extension of State Road 56 over to the Zephyrhills area makes it easier for shoppers to get to the mall. (Christine Holtzman)

It also reduces the time that the Zephyrhills resident spends on the road, to get to leisure activities or do her banking in Wesley Chapel.

The new 6-mile stretch also makes life easier for her husband, too, as he makes his commute to work at a warehouse in Land O’ Lakes.

Butler is just one of the thousands who can now opt for a shorter, or less congested route, to and from the east side of Pasco County.

Kevin O’ Farrell, provost at the Porter Campus, near the intersection of State Road 56 and Mansfield Boulevard, said he thinks the new road will even help students perform better academically.

Less time in traffic means less stress, in O’ Farrell’s opinion. And, because of that, he said, students “are more mentally ready to engage in class, they’re ready to focus more on their coursework.”

Greg Lenners, general manager for The Shops at Wiregrass, 28211 Paseo Drive in Wesley Chapel, expects the mall to experience an uptick in business because of the better access for shoppers coming from the east.

Laura Zimmerman, who lives on Meadow Pointe Boulevard, is happy to have another option for traveling to Zephyrhills. (Christine Holtzman)

Patrons at the mall said they’re glad to see the new road connection.

“I think it will ease the congestion and offer other alternatives,” said Laura Zimmerman, who lives on Meadow Pointe Boulevard and travels frequently to Zephyrhills.

McKenna Alkishawi, who lives in Zephyrhills, said the new route is “definitely 100 percent” beneficial.

Another Zephyrhills resident — Brenda Maass — is happy there’s a new way to get to Morris Bridge Road, where she can then head north at the new intersection.

For Zephyrhills resident John Skidmore, the new connection makes it easier for both him and his mother to get to doctor appointments.

“It’s about time. It’s going to be great,” Skidmore said.

Brenda Maass, a Zephyrhills resident and retiree, now has an alternative route in State Road 56 to visit friends and shop in the Wesley Chapel and Land O’ Lakes region. (Christine Holtzman)

Donna Pacheco, a Wesley Chapel retiree, is pleased to have a more convenient way to get to Zephyrhills, where she goes three to four times a week to visit her brother, son and grandchildren.

“It’s really about time that they did that (extended the road),” she said.

Bill Cronin, president/CEO of the Pasco Economic Development Council Inc., sees other benefits that improved connectivity will create.

“You’ve got the (State Road) 56 extension. You’ve got the potential widening of (U.S.) 301 in the north of the county, as well as the alignment of Clinton Avenue and (State Road) 39, which now starts to make us look a little more connected to Polk and some of those areas that we can access.

“We end up being much more strategically located for distribution activity,” Cronin said.

Numerous sources said the project’s success hinged on the collaboration of elected leaders and staff at the state, county and city levels; private landowners; and involved citizens.

Melonie Monson, executive director for The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, said local efforts played a vital role in securing a four-lane road.

McKenna Alkishawi is a Zephyrhills resident who often travels into Wesley Chapel on her leisure time. The USF student said that the new State Road 56 extension will be ‘100 percent’ beneficial in cutting down her commute time. (Christine Holtzman)

“There were a lot of letters written to legislators, to city officials, to government officials — and everybody decided to work together,” Monson said.

Vonnie Mikkelsen, now president and CEO of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce in Oregon, recalls those efforts. “It didn’t come top down. It came grassroots up,” she said.

“Honestly, it was a question of: Why hasn’t this happened sooner?” Mikkelsen said.

She credited then State Rep. Danny Burgess for playing a leading role.

“He listened and he understood immediately,” she said.

But, he wasn’t the only one.

“Our local government officials, they understood the importance. Our airport manager at the time, understood the opportunity that it presented. The Pasco EDC (knew, too).

“Everybody really rallied around the idea, even in the context of the first answer being, ‘No. No way.’

“Quite honestly, we thought, ‘OK. That’s not the final answer,’” Mikkelsen said.

“What really sealed the deal were some conversations at the state level.

Kevin O’ Farrell, provost at the Pasco-Hernando State College Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, said the extension of State Road 56 will reduce commute times for students and staff traveling to the campus, near the intersection of Mansfield Boulevard and State Road 56. (Brian Fernandes)

“Lo, and behold, there was an opportunity. It required some innovative and creative thinking, and some collaborative partnerships at the local level to make it happen.”

Burgess, now executive director for the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs, agreed: “The public-private partnership aspect, and the various levels of  governments that were involved in this, was really a huge success story, and an example of what can happen when everybody comes together for the common good of a community.”

The partnership resulted in a $22,750,000 loan for the third and fourth lanes of the project, with the loan to be repaid by private development partners through a mobility fee surcharge and a special assessment, if necessary.

The City of Zephyrhills agreed to reimburse the county for 10 percent of any loan shortfall paid for by the county. The contractor, Cone & Graham Inc., also agreed to include all costs associated with the design, permitting and construction, and other costs within the loan amount.

It’s a success that Burgess said he will savor.

“In the Legislature, and politics, in general, you know — in this line of work — you somewhat have to get used to defeats more than victories, if I’m going to be quite honest with you. You actually have to learn to live with that.

“But, then a victory like this happens. It’s validation. This is why you do what you do. You fight every day, because when you do something this big — this will have a profound impact on your community,” he said.

State Road 56 Extension

  • $59.7 million project
  • Runs from Meadow Pointe Boulevard in Wesley Chapel to U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills
  • Signalized intersections added at Morris Bridge Road and U.S. 301
  • Road design is curved, to minimize wetlands disruption
  • Amenities include: 10-foot multi-use path; 5-foot sidewalk; 7-foot-wide bicycle lanes on both shoulders

By B.C. Manion and Brian Fernandes

Published July 17, 2019

New opportunities coming to Cypress Creek campus

By

Crews have begun work on Cypress Creek Middle School, being built on the site where Cypress Creek Middle High School now operates.

A new Instructional and Performing Arts Center, which will provide educational opportunities and entertainment, will rise on the same site.

This is what the new Instructional Performing Arts Center, to be built on the campus shared by Cypress Creek High School and the new Cypress Creek Middle School, will look like. The campus is at 8701 Old Pasco Road in Wesley Chapel. (Courtesy of Pasco-Hernando State College)

Both are slated to open in fall of 2020.

Pasco County Schools gave Pasco-Hernando State College the land where the performing arts center, IPAC, will be built. The state college is paying the construction costs for IPAC, and will oversee its use.

But, the new facility will benefit middle school through college students, through the programs it offers.

In a recent interview with The Laker/Lutz News, representatives of the state college and the school district provided details relating to IPAC and the new middle school building.

The middle school project — at roughly 190,000 square feet, will take much longer to build than the 35,000-square foot performing arts center.

At the middle school, “they’re working on the site work. The foundation work is ongoing right now. Everything is on schedule for completion in July of 2020 for an August 2020 opening,” said Mike Gude, the school district’s director of construction services.

Cypress Creek Middle will have a capacity of 1,691 students, making it the largest of the district’s middle schools.

Safety and security will be first and foremost, with a single point of entry, controlled access and a fence around the school, Gude said.

Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent of Pasco County Schools, envisions opportunities for education, entertainment and growth for the local economy through the collaborative project involving the school district and state college.

“We designed our middle school to be very much compatible with the IPAC (performing arts center),” added Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent for Pasco County Schools. “We have a black box theater. A beautiful state-of-the-art black box theater. We also have an orchestra room. Dance. Chorus,” Gadd said.

Dr. Stanley Giannet, vice president of academic affairs and faculty development at PHSC, said the performing arts center will serve an important academic role.

“It’s called the Instructional and Performing Arts Center, the IPAC. The reason we have instructional there first is because in addition to a community-type events space and a performing arts space, the primary responsibility is to provide educational opportunities for our students, both dual enrollment students, students who will pipeline from the school district to PHSC, and community students, who wish to partake in the program,” he explained.

The state college will be using space within the performing arts center to provide courses to support a new Associate of Science degree in digital design and multimedia technology.

That new program was based on a needs analysis, and takes advantage of the fact that some programs are already offered in these areas at Wesley Chapel, Wiregrass and Cypress Creek high schools.

“It’s a natural extension,” Giannet said. Plus, there’s a documented need in the community for employees with these skills.

“This is a high-wage target industry,” Giannet said. The skills learned in this program can be applied to the performing arts, but also transferred to jobs in other industries, he said.

In the fall of 2020, Pasco County Schools is scheduled to open Cypress Creek Middle School. It is being designed for 1,600 students, making it the district’s largest middle school. The middle school will join Cypress Creek High and Pasco Hernando State College’s Instructional and Performing Arts Center. (Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

Students also will be able to take courses to support an Associate of Arts degree, which they can transfer to a four-year degree, he said.

Students will be able to take dance, theater and music classes as electives toward their associate’s degree, Giannet said. To get the associate’s, students would need 36 hours of general education, but the remaining 24 could be acquired at IPAC, focused on the performing arts.

Campus could draw regional events
The performing arts center is considered to be an extension of the state college’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, which will be under the direction of an administrator who will report to Kevin O’ Farrell, provost of the Porter Campus.

The community also will have access to a new performing arts venue, and the campus could attract national or regional thespian festivals, or other kinds of performing arts events.

The 444-seat performing arts theater, the 150-seat black box theater at the middle school, and the arts classrooms available on campus provide a set of resources that could be attractive for such events, Gadd said. Plus, the site has plenty of parking to support such events, after school hours.

The black box theater might prove particularly popular with local theater groups, Gadd said.

“One of the advantages of the black box in the middle school is that it might be more amenable to some community theater activities, because I think the IPAC center is going to be like an anthill — it’s going to be very busy,” Gadd said.

The combined state college and school district resources on the campus create the potential for increased economic development, additional educational programs, and a new entertainment venue for the community, Gadd said.

Dr. Stanley Giannet, vice president of academic affairs and faculty development at Pasco-Hernando State College, said the new performing arts center on the Cypress Creek campus will offer a broad array of educational opportunities.

Gianett noted that the center will be a source of revenue for the college, too.

“We’ll have professional troupes, professional shows that we can bring in,” he said, and there will be opportunities for groups to rent the facility for events.

The theater also will provide another place for the school district to offer plays and other events.

Working together on this project has helped the district and state college develop a greater level of collaboration, said Gadd, who not only serves as the school district’s deputy superintendent, but also sits on the state college’s board.

The dual role offers a vantage point that allows him to see areas where the district and college can leverage the resources of the individual organizations, through collaboration.

Construction is expected to begin on the performing arts center around June of this year, and the project is expected to be completed by July of 2020, said Tony Rivas, associate vice president facilities management and administrative services for the state college.

O’ Farrell said a request is being made to the Florida Legislature for some additional funding for the project.

“One of the final pushes that we’re making this legislative session is for an additional $2.5 million,” he said.

“We had $15.5 million for the facility,” he explained.

Because of the partnership between the state college and the school district, the site for the arts center has been secured, and it is almost ready for construction, O’ Farrell said.

If additional money can be secured for this project, it would go to enlarge the interior space in the arts center’s foyer to accommodate breakfasts, receptions and community gatherings.

Published February 13, 2019

Excellence in Business Awards announced

By

The North Tampa Bay Chamber has announced the winners of its 2018 Excellence in Business Awards, which are bestowed during an annual celebration to acknowledge extraordinary contributions by local community members, businesses and organizations in the Wesley Chapel, New Tampa, Trinity and Odessa regions.

This year’s winners are:

New Business of the Year: Holiday Inn Express – Trinity

Small Business of the Year: Buttermilk Provisions

Large Business of the Year: Shriners Hospital for Children – Tampa

Business Leader of the Year: Dr. Kevin O’Farrell

Volunteer of the Year: Damaris Rios

Dorothy Mitchell Legacy Award: John Gallagher, retired Pasco County administrator

Also, The Board Member of the Year award went to David DeWeerd, CPA, and Dr. Kevin O’ Farrell received the Chairman’s Award. Both of those awards were given by Jennifer Cofini, chair of the North Tampa Bay Chamber’s board.

The event was presented by Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel and was held in the Sierra Center at Hyatt Place Wesley Chapel.

Event sponsors were Design & Construction Innovations, Wiregrass Ranch, Avalon Park West, and the Tampa Bay Times.

Published November 21, 2018

Learning the ins and outs of medical marijuana

By

Medical marijuana is a fact in Florida.

Voters approved it in a 2016 referendum.

Lawmakers passed a law regulating it, effective January 2017.

Cities and counties generally are writing local ordinances in line with state law to permit dispensaries, but limit their locations.

Local governments, however, do have the option to ban them.

Pasco County commissioners are expected to vote on an ordinance in November that will treat medical marijuana dispensaries as pharmacies — and prohibit them from operating within 500 feet of public and private schools.

A display at a medical marijuana forum shows the many ways medical marijuana is delivered to patients. There are topical creams, vaporizers, oral syringes, tinctures and nasal sprays. (Kathy Steele)

The full impact of legalized medical marijuana, also known as medical cannabis, is a work-in-progress, with potential for legislators to tinker with the law in 2018.

A Community Awareness Series, hosted by the Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus, took on the issue at its “Medical Marijuana Legalization and Regulation Symposium” on Oct. 26.

About 100 people attended the seminar, which was open to students, faculty and the public.

The college wants “to bring dialogue and conversation to the issues that can affect our lives,” said Kevin O’ Farrell, provost at the Porter Campus.

Speakers included Keith Stolte, an ophthalmologist, who owns Stolte Eye Center in Spring Hill; and, Victoria Walker, media relations for Trulieve, one of 17 state approved dispensaries.

Stolte began treating patients with medical marijuana as soon as the state law took effect on Jan. 3.

He previously had researched medical marijuana and believed in its benefits for a host of ailments, in addition to glaucoma.

“We’re changing lives,” Stolte said. “If anybody told me we’d be getting the results we’re getting, I wouldn’t have believed them.”

His first patient was a teenage girl who was home-schooled due to a social anxiety disorder. “She couldn’t leave the house,” Stolte said.

Within a month of starting treatment, she enrolled in a local high school, and soon after, joined the cheerleading squad.

“That’s something else,” he said.

Laurie Oliver, practice manager at Stolte Eye Center, was a medical marijuana skeptic when she first learned of plans to see medical marijuana patients.

“I’m an old-fashioned Southern woman,” she said. “You were taught marijuana was awful.”

But, the patients changed her mind, including an elderly woman with tremors who shook so badly she couldn’t feed herself. The woman came by the office soon after starting medical marijuana to proudly display a blue shirt, without a food crumb or stain on it.

“She just wanted to feed herself before she dies,” said Oliver.

Patients’ success stories are starting to change everyone’s attitudes, Stolte said.

“We are starting to drift from demonization of marijuana, and this could be really good,” he said.

The stigma that attaches to marijuana use also leads to misconceptions about dispensaries, said Walker.

They aren’t “head” shops with hippies in sandals behind the counter selling weed and bongs. In fact, state law bans the sale of the whole marijuana plant, Walker said.

“There is no smoking,” Walker said, adding anyone who walks into a dispensary will find a professional, medical office environment.

Security measures are mandated by law.

Trulieve stores typically have about 40 cameras. The same tight security is maintained at its facility in Tallahassee, where the cannabis plants are grown and medical marijuana products are manufactured.

Engineers and scientists work in Trulieve’s laboratory to develop and test different strains of cannabis.

Plants are pesticide-free and are grown indoors.

Products are offered in a variety of forms, including vaporizers, nasal spray, tinctures, topical creams, oral syringes and capsules. They may contain two of the main ingredients found in marijuana plants – tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or cannabidiol (CBD).

The more common ingredient is THC, which can produce the “high” associated with marijuana. But CBD, which can’t produce a high, is becoming more popular with doctors because it can produce fewer side effects, Stolte said.

Edibles are legal, but Walker said dispensaries are waiting on rules regarding packaging and size before introducing them.

When they come, she said, “It will be very anti-attractive to minor children.”

The state is closely monitoring this fledging medical marijuana industry.

Dispensaries are capped statewide at 17. Each one is allowed to own and operate 25 retail stores.

Trulieve has 10 locations, with stores opening soon in North Fort Myers and Orlando.

Stores are open seven days a week. “We treat them just like a pharmacy,” Walker said.

Because state law gives cities and counties the option to ban dispensaries, Walker said, “It’s really up to local communities and towns to let us in.”

Doctors and patients also have regulations.

Doctors aren’t permitted to dispense medical marijuana. Doctors are not allowed to write a prescription, either, because marijuana is considered a controlled substance under federal law.

Physicians also must take a state mandated two-hour course and register with the state before they are qualified to “recommend” medical marijuana.

With a recommendation letter in hand, patients visit a dispensary to receive their medication. Patients must register on a confidential state database, and they have to wait about 30 days to receive a card.

Medical marijuana is dispensed in 70-day increments. Once the 70 days expires, a patient can renew the recommendation for another 70 days. This can be done sometimes by phone but, about every six months, there must be a face-to-face visit with a doctor.

By law, 10 diseases are listed as eligible for medical marijuana including epilepsy, glaucoma, post-traumatic stress disorder, Crohn’s and Parkinson’s.

But, the law also includes “medical conditions of the same kind or class as or comparable” to those specifically listed.

That gives doctors some discretion in approving patients who don’t neatly fit any of the approved categories, Stolte said.

He also noted that medical marijuana could play a role in addressing the opioid epidemic.

“You can kill yourself with opioids. You can’t kill yourself with marijuana,” Stolte said. “It (marijuana) is not a gateway drug. It’s an exit drug.”

Research is beginning to show that medical marijuana reduces opioid prescriptions and overdose deaths, he added.

“We’re treating people who have failed on everything else out there,” Stolte said.

The next event in the Community Awareness Series will be “DUI (Driving Under the Influence) Awareness Seminar” on Nov. 15 from 11 a.m. to noon. It will be at Pasco-Hernando State College, 2727 Mansfield Blvd., in Wesley Chapel, in the Conference Center, Building B, Room 303.

For information, visit PHSC.edu.

Published November 8, 2017