The Laker/Lutz News

West Pasco Judicial Center

The Big Shred IV helps people dispose of documents

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If you have some sensitive or outdated documents you want to destroy, The Big Shred IV may be just the thing for you.

Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller Nikki Alvarez-Sowles directs traffic in the rain at the Big Shred event last year, in Dade City. (Courtesy of Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller)

Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller Nikki Alvarez-Sowles has set two dates to give area residents the opportunity to safely dispose of documents they no longer need, according to a news release.

Last year, the event drew about 350 area residents who got rid of about 7.5 tons of documents. Over the three years the event has been held, more than 24 tons of documents have been shredded.

The times and dates for this year’s events are:

  • Jan. 30, 10 a.m. to noon: West Pasco Judicial Center, 7530 Little Road, New Port Richey
  • Feb. 6, 10 a.m. to noon: Robert Sumner Judicial Center, 38053 Live Oak Ave., Dade City

People who bring documents to be destroyed can watch while they are shredded.

Those wishing to take advantage of the service can bring in up to three copier-paper boxes or two tall kitchen trash bags of paper documents.

Staples, paper clips or other metal clasps must be removed.

“Last year, at New Port Richey, we had 5.5 tons of paper (shredded at the event),” Alvarez-Sowles said, at the Pasco County Commission’s Jan. 12 meeting.

She noted that 264 cars came through that line.

In Dade City, the event was held on a rainy day, reducing the turnout. At that event, there were 82 cars, which yielded 2 tons of shredded paper that day.

Published January 20, 2021

Pasco drivers can save money on fines this week

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Operation Green Light gives motorists a chance to pay unpaid court fines and fees, and get back onto the road, at a reduced price.

The event is happening in Pasco County from Nov. 18 through Nov. 20.

By paying their fines during this window of opportunity, drivers can save big on collections, penalties, and interest, according to a news release from the office of Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller Nikki Alvarez-Sowles.

“This is an important moment for drivers who have seen their licenses suspended over unpaid court obligations,” Alvarez-Sowles said, in the release. “So much of our modern lives depends on having reliable transportation, and for most of us, that means being able to drive.

“During Operation Green Light, penalties, interest, and collections fees that have been piling up can, in many cases, be waived. For those who can’t pay their obligations in total, we offer payment plans that allow driving privileges to be restored, too.”

There are three ways to participate: in person, phone, online.

Deputy Clerks will be available at both courthouses – the Robert Sumner Judicial Center (Dade City) and the West Pasco Judicial Center (New Port Richey) – during business hours, which are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., for in-person assistance.

Sidelined motorists can skip the trip and get squared away by telephone: (352) 521-4542, Option 1; or (727) 847-8031, Option 2, between 7:30 a.m. and 6 p.m.

And, anytime during the three-day event, access will be offered to a special Operation Green Light web page: https://www.pascoclerk.com/856/Operation-Green-Light.

Those with licenses suspended over failure to pay child support, DUI, failure to complete a driver’s course ordered by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), traffic-related felony, or deemed by FLHSMV as a habitual traffic offender may not be eligible to participate, according to the release.

Drivers wanting to get a grasp on the financial obligations pending against their license may check their status here: https://services.flhsmv.gov/DLCheck/.

Published November 18, 2020