The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Allen Altman

School boundaries gain preliminary approval

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The Pasco County School Board has given preliminary approval to new school boundaries for the 2017-2018 school year.

The board’s action came after a contentious public hearing on the proposed boundaries for Cypress Creek Middle/High School, set to open in fall 2017.

The proposed boundaries for Bexley Elementary, being built off State Road 54, on the other hand, drew no public opposition.

Bexley is intended to reduce crowding at Oakstead and Odessa elementary schools. The proposed boundaries also provide additional students for Lake Myrtle Elementary.

Kurt Browning

Cypress Creek Middle/High School will open initially for students in sixth through 11th grades, and will add a senior class during its second year of operations.

Its proposed boundaries will affect Rushe, John Long and Weightman middle schools, and for Sunlake, Wesley Chapel and Wiregrass Ranch high schools.

Despite considerable opposition, school board members supported Superintendent Kurt Browning’s recommended option for the Cypress Creek Middle/High boundaries.

Some speakers criticized Browning and questioned his motives for disregarding the boundary committee’s recommended option and substituting his own recommendation.

Others, however, applauded Browning, saying his option makes the most sense.

In a letter to parents, Browning said his recommended option would result in the least disruption and avoid the possibility of Seven Oaks being rezoned twice in as few as four years.

School board member Steve Luikart did not support any of the proposed boundaries.

Instead, Luikart said if students need to be rezoned, it should only be at the end of elementary school or middle school.

Rezoning them at any other time is disruptive, Luikart said.

School Board Chairman Allen Altman said after reading scores of emails, he came to the conclusion that even people living in the same community can’t agree on the best solution.

In the end, board members have to do their own due diligence, Altman said.

Colleen Beaudoin, who joined the board this year, was taking part in her first rezoning process. She said she found it heartbreaking to see neighborhoods pitted against each other.

Board members Cynthia Armstrong and Alison Crumbley said they understand that parents don’t want their children rezoned, and they emphasized they don’t take the issue lightly.

While some people were thrilled by the board’s vote to back Browning’s recommendation, others were clearly dejected.

The board is slated to take final action on school boundaries for 2017-2018 at its Jan. 17 meeting.

For more information, visit Pasco.k12.fl.us/planning/rezoning/.

Published December 28, 2016

Browning: Schools must improve

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When the state released its school grades last month, the news wasn’t good for numerous Pasco County schools, or for the district itself.

“The Friday that grades were released, it was not a good day for me. Nor the district,” Superintendent Kurt Browning said at a school board workshop on the issue on Aug. 2.

The state’s report showed a number of Pasco schools slipping a grade, and the district, itself, slipping from a B to a C.

Kurt Browning (File Photo)
Kurt Browning
(File Photo)

On one hand, Browning said, school grades don’t paint a complete picture of a school.

“There’s a lot more that goes into a school than just a single school grade,” he said.

On the other hand, he noted: “People judge the quality of a school based on the school grade, and I get that.”

There were changes in the way the grades were calculated this year, Browning said.

But he added: “You had 66 other districts that were operating under the same rules.”

The district is assessing where it is and why it saw changes, particularly in the increase of C and D schools, Browning said.

“We are really trying to assess why we are where we are,” Browning said.

“We were at 34 (34th in the state) when I took office. We went to 33. Now, we’re at 39,” he said. “Anyway you cut it, slice it or dice it, we’re 39th – and that is not something that appeals to me at all.

“I do think there are things that we can do, that will move the needle,” Browning said.

But he noted, there are no easy fixes.

“I learned a long time ago that the art of educating kids is not like building a widget. You don’t start out with a table full of parts, and at the end of the assembly line they all look the same and function the same,” he said.

At the same time, “we have got to think differently about the way we educate our kids. Apparently, something is not clicking. It’s not producing the results that we absolutely have to have, in order to be successful under the state’s accountability system.”

Whether the district likes the state’s system or not, the superintendent added, “it is, what it is.”

Vanessa Hilton, assistant superintendent for student achievement, provided a presentation explaining differences in the state’s calculations for this year’s grades, noting key areas needing attention and identifying strategies for tackling the issues.

School board member Allen Altman said he doesn’t want to overreact, but at the same time doesn’t want to underreact, either.

Board member Alison Crumbley said the district may want to take a look at what’s working in its A and B schools, too, to see if those practices can be used in other schools.

School board member Cynthia Armstrong said, “You’ve identified what you need to do. The what, but not really the how.”

Armstrong said she’d like another board workshop to get more detail on how the district plans to accomplish the strategies it has laid out.

Browning got the message: “We will schedule another workshop, to delve in, once we kind of put the meat on the bones,” he said.

Published August 10, 2016

New school boundaries approved

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Pasco County School Board members adopted boundaries for Elementary School W in Wesley Chapel, despite objections by parents living in Northwood and Arbor Woods.

In approving the boundaries, the board members also approved a plan by school district staff to add gifted services to Denham Oaks Elementary School in Lutz.

Parents had objected to their children losing gifted services, and the district responded – at the recommendation of board member Allen Altman and other board members – by adding the services at Denham Oaks.

Some parents also voiced concerns about a waiting list for the child care program at Denham Oaks, but Superintendent Kurt Browning said additional staff is expected to be hired for the program.

The board’s unanimous vote on the school boundaries came despite concerns voiced repeatedly by parents who wanted to keep their children at schools within their Wesley Chapel community.

They said shifting their children to the Lutz school would disrupt their established day care arrangements. They also said it would be harder for commuting parents to make it to after-school events.

Some said they had moved into their neighborhoods specifically because of the schools serving them. And, they also voiced concerns about the impacts that the boundary change would have on their child’s assigned middle school and high school.

Parents also asked if children entering fifth-grade could be grandfathered in, which some board members said the district should try to do, if possible.

Ray Bonti, assistant superintendent for support services, said the district has a past practice of allowing parents of children going into fifth-graders to apply for school choice to attend that school.

Board member Cynthia Armstrong, who made the motion to approve the boundary change, said she realized the boundary change “is painful for the parents.”

But, she added, “We do have to sometimes make very difficult decisions.”

Board member Altman, who seconded the motion, said offering the gifted services at Denham Oaks is important. The district may not be able to alleviate geographic impacts of boundary shifts, but should do what it can to ensure that students have the same academic opportunities, he said, during the first public hearing on the boundary change.

Board member Alison Crumbley noted that, “Those of you who came out tonight, you’re the kind of parents that make schools really good. You could be the core of leaders, and your children, I’m sure, too, in the school. And that’s a really valuable asset.”

Steve Luikart, another board member, who is a former educator said, “When the parents get on board and say, ‘Whatever it is, we’re going to make the best of it.’ Their students will make the best of it. It’s going to start in the home.

“We’re having to make decisions that we don’t like making. But, the mending is going to start at home. It will be up to you as parents to make that transition as easy and as simple as possible,” Luikart said.

But, he also noted that the school district will do what it can to help.

Published December 23, 2015

 

 

 

School boundary changes gain first-round approval

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The Pasco County School Board has given first-round approval of proposed boundaries for Elementary School W, a school under construction in Wesley Chapel.

The unanimous vote came despite objections from parents living in Northwood and in Arbor Woods, who do not want their children moved to Denham Oaks Elementary, which is in Lutz.

“I want another option given to us,” said Amy Bracewell, who lives in Northwood.

“We moved here before we had children because of the area and the school options available to us,” said Bracewell, who now has two children who will be affected by the boundary shifts.

“Our family lives in Wesley Chapel, we shop in Wesley Chapel, and we worship in Wesley Chapel,” she said. “I feel that the changes you have proposed will have negative effects on the students that live in Northwood.”

The impacts go beyond the school day, she explained.

Pasco County School Board members will cast a final vote on proposed school boundaries for Elementary W, a school now being built off Mansfield Boulevard in Wesley Chapel. Some parents oppose the new school’s proposed boundaries because their children would be shifted to Denham Oaks in Lutz. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Pasco County School Board members will cast a final vote on proposed school boundaries for Elementary W, a school now being built off Mansfield Boulevard in Wesley Chapel. Some parents oppose the new school’s proposed boundaries because their children would be shifted to Denham Oaks in Lutz.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

“Any parents that use day care in Wesley Chapel will have to change to another day care, because they will not transport our children to Denham Oaks,” she said. So, children who have essentially known each other since birth will no longer be able to attend the same day care, she said.

Kellie Barragan, another Northwood parent, urged board members to reconsider the proposed boundary plan. “I really implore you to find a way for Northwood to go to Sand Pine (Elementary),” she said.

Chris Keller, who lives in Belle Chase, told board members “we understand the need for change. But, we don’t feel that the changes being proposed are in the best interests of our children.”

His chief concern is dealing with transportation issues that will arise — affecting childcare arrangements and after-school activities.

“A lot of the current places within Wesley Chapel will not serve the Lutz area and Denham Oaks,” Keller said.

He asked the board to direct district staff to take another look at the proposed boundaries.

Allen Altman, vice chairman of the school board, said he’s well aware of the area’s traffic issues because he has an office off State Road 54, near Denham Oaks Elementary.

However, he said, “Ultimately, at some point in time, we have to draw a line.”

Whenever a line is drawn, some people are going to be unhappy about where it was drawn, Altman said.

While the board can’t avoid geographic disruptions caused by new boundaries, it can address concerns about educational services, said Altman, noting he’s heard concerns from parents who are worried about losing services for academically gifted students.

Altman said he would support the proposed boundaries with the stipulation that the district comes back with a plan for how it will address that issue.

Board member Cynthia Armstrong and Board Chairwoman Joanne Hurley agreed with Altman.

After the vote, Vincent Iglio, who lives in Arbor Woods, urged the board to consider the consequences of the proposed boundaries.

“We’re not drawing lines based on actuarial tables. We’re drawing lines based on students, communities and families,” Iglio said.

He urged the board to consider “a reasonable option” which he said would allow the children living in Arbor Woods to attend Sand Pine Elementary.

During a recent community meeting at Denham Oaks Elementary, Chris Williams, the director of planning for Pasco County Schools, told those gathered that the boundary committee recommended that the Northwood subdivision, including Arbor Woods, be sent to Denham Oaks Elementary.

Iglio expressed frustration at the district’s process.

“I believed in my heart that these were open for public debate. All I’ve seen so far is a defense of the first option,” Iglio said.

Although she gave first-round approval of the proposed boundaries, Hurley said has not made her final decision yet.

“I’m always open to hearing from the public until right before the second hearing,” Hurley said.

The board will have its second and final hearing on Dec. 15 at 6 p.m. The meeting will be in the school district complex, Building No. 3 North, at 7205 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

Published December 9, 2015

Growth spurs school construction

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When Pasco County School Board member Alison Crumbley considers anticipated growth along the State Road 54/56 corridor, she said, she is “taken aback.”

She worries about the school district’s ability to provide schools for all of the students who will be moving into the new communities that are taking shape along that corridor.

Construction continues at Sanders Memorial Elementary School, which is set to focus on science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)
Construction continues at Sanders Memorial Elementary School, which is set to focus on science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)

Superintendent Kurt Browning shares that sentiment.

“That 54 corridor concerns me greatly,” Browning said, during a recent school board workshop on the district’s construction plans.

“Our need certainly outpaces our resources,” the superintendent said. “When you look at the 54 corridor, from really, Little Road to just beyond Wiregrass, that’s Curley Road — there is so much growth and projected growth.

“Even up on Curley, there’s master-planned communities.

“As superintendent, it concerns me, because I know moms and dads don’t want their kids in crowded classrooms. And I don’t want their kids in crowded classrooms.

“Nor, do I want to build new schools and, the next thing you know, you see portables being pulled up on those school campuses,” Browning said.

The lack of revenue has prompted the school district to launch an impact fee study, which could lead to higher school impact fees paid for new construction of residential properties in Pasco County.

Meanwhile, the district is engaged in numerous construction projects and have others planned in the near future.

Chris Williams, director of planning, outlined those projects during the board’s workshop. He also provided additional details during a separate interview.

Crews at Sanders Memorial Elementary School work to ensure that the county’s first magnet school opens on schedule in August.
Crews at Sanders Memorial Elementary School work to ensure that the county’s first magnet school opens on schedule in August.

Sanders Memorial Elementary School is getting a massive makeover — and the Land O’ Lakes Elementary School is getting more than a brand new look. It is also becoming Pasco County’s first magnet school.

When Sanders opens in the fall, it will offer a curriculum that emphasizes science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics.

Quail Hollow Elementary, set to reopen in August, has a new floor plan that established individual classrooms in the formerly “open” school. The school also will have updated building systems, technology on par with any new elementary school in the district and a new cafeteria with a stage.

The school district also is in the process of designing three new schools, Elementary W in Wiregrass Ranch, Elementary B in Bexley Ranch, and High School GGG on Old Pasco Road, which will open as a school for sixth grade through 12th grade.

The district also is planning additional schools in the Wesley Chapel area.

“Elementary W is the first of potentially three or four in Wiregrass,” Williams said during the board workshop.

The district is working on a new design for Elementary B in Bexley Ranch, because it wants the school to accommodate more students than a typical district elementary school, Williams said.

Bexley Ranch will provide substantial relief for Oakstead and Odessa elementary schools, Williams said.

Other future schools are proposed for the Bexley Ranch area, and a future elementary school is planned for Starkey Ranch. A future middle school is also proposed for Starkey Ranch, Williams said.

The district also already has purchased land for a future school on the south side of State Road 54.

The biggest concern about middle school capacity is in the Wesley Chapel area, Williams said.

High School GGG, which will serve grades six through 12, will provide significant relief to Wesley Chapel area middle schools and high schools.

Wiregrass Ranch High has so many students, it is going to a 10-period day for the next two years to manage the number of students on campus at one time.

High School GGG will have a capacity of 1,900 students. It is expected to draw students from areas now assigned to Wiregrass Ranch and Wesley Chapel high schools, and Weightman and Long middle schools.

The district is using this approach because it can’t afford to build both a high school and a middle school. As population grows and demand increases, the district plans to build Middle School HH at the same location.

The boundary process for High School GGG and Elementary School B is expected to begin in about 18 months, the planning director said.

Williams said he is concerned about the ability of Mitchell, Sunlake and Land O’ Lakes high schools to absorb anticipated future enrollment.

“Land O’ Lakes (High), hopefully, when we remodel that school, we can add some capacity. It’s not going to be enough for long-term,” Williams said.

“We do have a high school site promised to us in Bexley Ranch. That potentially is going to have a big impact, especially on Sunlake.

“I continue to look for two additional high school sites, one in the Land O’ Lakes area and one in the (State Road) 54/Suncoast Parkway area,” Williams said.

But he added: “Those are hard to come by.”

“There is a high school site promised in the River Landing area, that could potentially impact Wesley Chapel, Wiregrass and Zephyrhills,” Williams said.

“It would be along the extension of State Road 56. It would be east of Mansfield, but on the west side of Morris Bridge Road. Zephyr Egg Property, if you’d ever heard of that,” he said.

School Board member Allen Altman said he’s worried that the increasing need to spend money on new construction will make it that much harder for the district to maintain the buildings it has.

It’s a known fact that proper maintenance saves taxpayers money in the long term, but the district doesn’t have a choice. It must spend money to provide school capacity, he said.

While the district considers its long-range plans and short-term needs, construction continues.

Elementary W, being built between John Long Middle School and Wiregrass Ranch High, is set to open in 2016.

When it opens, it will be possible for students to attend elementary school through college on the same street, since Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch is just down the road.

Williams expects the school boundary process for Elementary W to begin in October or November.

That school will help relieve crowding at Seven Oaks and Double Branch elementary schools, but the particulars of how that will be achieved have not been determined yet.

“Seven Oaks really popped this year,” Williams said.

Meanwhile, in East Pasco, the school district will be building a new cafeteria, and doing parking and traffic improvements at Cox Elementary.

Pasco Elementary also is getting some improvements, as plans call for remodeling several buildings, Williams said.

Published July 15, 2015

Developers could buy Hercules Park; donate land

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The city of Zephyrhills lost its bid to purchase Hercules Park, but there is hope still that a large swath of the park and its aquatic center can become city property.

The Pasco County School Board unanimously voted to begin negotiating the park’s sale with developers from Gh&G Florida LLC. Their bid for $2.3 million topped Zephyrhills’ bid of $1.7 million for the 15.5-acre park.

A fence, with a stop sign, blocks vehicles at the former entrance to Hercules Park. A faded sign lists park rules. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photos)
A fence, with a stop sign, blocks vehicles at the former entrance to Hercules Park. A faded sign lists park rules.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photos)

But Deputy School Superintendent Ray Gadd said any deal brought back to the school board must stipulate that between 10 acres to 11 acres of the park would be donated to the city of Zephyrhills.

The acreage would include a fitness trail, the children’s playground and the aquatic center.

School board member Allen Altman said he agonized over his vote.

He explained: “We just don’t have the ability to turn down additional money right now.”

The school district is recovering from significant budget cuts resulting from the economic crash in 2008. The lack of funding for capital improvement projects is critical, said school board member Cynthia Armstrong.

“It is our constitutional duty to do fiduciarily what is best for our people, our students, who are also the people in Zephyrhills,” she said.

Other board members echoed those sentiments despite impassioned pleas from Zephyrhills’ Mayor Gene Whitfield and others to accept Zephyrhills’ bid.

“I’m disappointed,” Whitfield said. “We want the park. We’ll do everything we can. We’ll wait to see what they offer and proceed from there.”

Prior to the school board’s vote, Whitfield recounted the park’s history. He described a “handshake” agreement nearly 50 years ago between Hercules Powder Co. and the school district that the park would be used for children and for education but not for commercial use.

At one time Hercules Powder Co. was the largest employer in Zephyrhills. The company processed pine stumps into rosin, turpentine and pine oil on about 80 acres. The property later became sites for the park, Zephyrhills High School and Woodland Elementary School.

Some residents had feared that a gas station would be built on a corner lot at U.S 301 and County Road 54, adjacent to the park. But a $1.7 million bid from Del Lago Ventures Inc., affiliated with Race Trac Petroleum Inc., was rejected.

Belleair Development Group, with a $1.6 million bid, also lost out.

“Something needs to be worked out, because we in Zephyrhills need that (park),” said resident Fern Williams. “I’m not even seeing what your vision is with a gas station on that corner.”

A jungle gym, picnic table and swing set go unused at Hercules Park, which was closed by Pasco County four years ago for lack of funding.
A jungle gym, picnic table and swing set go unused at Hercules Park, which was closed by Pasco County four years ago for lack of funding.

In April, school officials announced plans to put the corner parcel on the market for commercial sale. Zephyrhills’ City Council previously agreed to rezone the site with expectations that the school board would consider leasing the remaining acres to Zephyrhills for $1 a year for 100 years.

City and school officials have somewhat different recollections on what happened next.

Gadd said as far back as 2011, the school board raised the possibility of a lease, but city officials rejected the offer.

Following the recent rezoning of the corner lot, he presented the lease option to the school board but never heard back from Zephyrhills for follow-up. City officials said the lease agreement would have precluded them from applying for grants. Buying the property was the best option, they said.

The city planned to use several funding sources including Community Development Block Grants and the Penny for Pasco program. The bid also included the right to sell about 2 acres, south of the corner lot. City officials said, if they needed the funds from the lot’s sale, it would be developed for a purpose compatible with the park.

The future of the park has been under discussion since Pasco County’s decision to close it nearly four years ago. County officials said the county could no longer afford to operate and maintain the park and its aquatic center.

Under a prior agreement, the park had to be used or returned to the school district.

School officials estimate that Zephyrhills could receive about $50,000 annually in property and gas tax revenues if the deal goes through with Gh&G.

Zephyrhills’ officials dispute those numbers, saying the city will receive very little from gas taxes.

They peg property tax revenues at about $6,000 a year.

Gadd said school officials are in agreement with Zephyrhills on the goal to reopen the park and see the pool again hosting swim meets.

During the long closure, he said the pool has been vandalized and homeless people have been found living in the woods.

Law enforcement has been called there on several occasions.

“To me its sad to see the pool has fallen into disrepair,” Gadd said.

Zephyrhills’ City Manager Steve Spina remains hopeful of a good outcome.

“I understand their position,” he said of the school board’s vote. “I think it’s good if they can work it out, and we get the bulk of the land. It’s a win-win.”

Published June 24, 2015

Despite objections, multifamily zoning gets OK

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Residents urged the Pasco County Commission to reject a request to allow multifamily zoning on a parcel on Clinton Avenue, but commissioners went along with the planning staff’s recommendation for approval.

The new zoning designation, requested under the name of Six Feet Under, LLC, will allow a maximum of 157 units, according to Carol Clarke, the county’s zoning administrator.

The 21.6-acre property is on the north side of Clinton Avenue, about 1,700 feet west of U.S. 301.

Opponents raised concerns about additional traffic that the project will create. They also said a multifamily project will change the character of the area.

“Please keep Dade City a small town,” said Abelardo Cruz, of 37451 Orange Blossom Lane. “We don’t have a problem with single-family.”

Dorothy Moore, president of The Ridge Homeowners Association, said her association is “very much against higher density.”

Donald Dempsey of 37510 Orange Blossom Lane, told commissioners: “We have enough problems with traffic.”

Another speaker told commissioners that he’s in the process of building a new home in the area, and he’s worried about his investment in the area and also concerned that others will be less likely to build a home there, if the multifamily project gained approval.

Allen Altman, one of the owners of the land up for rezoning, said he was approached by some people at his church about the possibility of creating some senior housing at the site.

“We don’t know exactly what’s going to be there,” he said, but he does know there’s a need for that kind of housing.

Altman also noted that he’d seen a petition submitted against the rezoning. The list contained several names of friends he has known for years.

They didn’t know who owned the land, Altman said. They were reacting to a rumor they heard that the multifamily housing was for low-income people.

Altman said his friends dropped their objections once they knew he was involved.

County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey noted that senior housing tends to be a wonderful addition to a community.

Commissioners approved the rezoning on a 5-0 vote, without debate.

Published January 21, 2015

 

Commission race an open primary, other candidates qualify

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A last-minute write-in candidate almost made the race for the Pasco County Commission District 4 race even more interesting than it already is. However, Grady Peeler Jr., pulled out of the race just as quickly as he entered last week.

Volunteers for Pasco County Commission candidate Bob Robertson gather in pray to lead off a sign-waving event last week near the intersection of State Road 54 and Eiland Boulevard, west of Zephyrhills. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Volunteers for Pasco County Commission candidate Bob Robertson gather in pray to lead off a sign-waving event last week near the intersection of State Road 54 and Eiland Boulevard, west of Zephyrhills.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

That leaves just Commissioner Henry Wilson Jr., to defend his seat against Mike Wells Jr., during an open primary in August that will allow all voters — no matter what their party affiliation is — to decide between the two Republicans.

Wilson is working hard to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself. He was first elected to the commission in 2010 after a major upset of incumbent Michael Cox, and is trying to stop being on the wrong end of another incumbent defeat, this time at the hands of Wells, the son of county property appraiser and former county commissioner Mike Wells Sr.

Wells entered the race with a boom, showing he has the ability to raise a lot of money fast. In just two months of campaigning, Wells has raised $45,600 compared to the just under $24,000 from Wilson.

But money never worried Wilson too much. In his first race, Wilson raised just $8,700 — pennies compared to the massive $163,000 campaign war chest collected by Cox, who at the time was the one Democrat on the commission.

If Peeler had qualified for the race, Wilson and Wells would’ve still met Aug. 26, but only Republicans would’ve been able to vote. Instead, all voters will have a chance to decide between Wilson and Wells, the winner claiming the District 4 seat.

In the other county commission race for the District 2 seat currently held by Pat Mulieri, all three Republican candidates — Ken Littlefield, Mike Moore and Bob Robertson — have qualified. They will battle it out in the August primary among Republican voters, the winner facing Land O’ Lakes resident Erika Remsberg, the only Democrat to file.

If Remsberg were to win, she would be the first Democrat on the commission since Cox departed in 2010.

Mike Fasano got a big vote of confidence from county residents as no one challenged him for his seat as the county tax collector. He will serve a two-year term, facing election again in 2016.

Also returning to their jobs without opposition are two school board members, Allen Altman and Cynthia Armstrong. The District 5 seat will see incumbent Steve Luikart face challenger Marc Yacht.

At the state level, however, Minnie Diaz said she got a lesson in how not to run a campaign. The Pasco-Hernando State College adjunct professor failed to qualify in her race to succeed state Rep. Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, after misunderstanding when she was supposed to file her financial disclosure form.

“I assume full responsibility,” Diaz said. “I did not fully grasp the process of qualifying week, and I did not understand what it truly meant. There was a certain amount of confusion on my part.”

Diaz had filed most of her paperwork a year ago, and even collected the necessary 986 signatures before Christmas. However, she said she believed she had until July 1 to file her financial disclosure form, but later learned that was only for incumbents.

Diaz filed that form, but more than two hours too late.

Because of that, former Zephyrhills mayor Danny Burgess wins the Republican nomination, and won’t have to go through a primary battle with Diaz. Instead, he can focus on his race in November against Democrat Beverly Ledbetter, who also qualified last Friday.

Returning to Tallahassee unopposed are Trilby Republican Wilton Simpson in the Senate, and both Land O’ Lakes Republican Richard Corcoran and Tampa Democrat Janet Cruz in the House.

Rep. James Grant, R-Tampa, earned a primary challenger on the final day of qualifying from Miriam Steinberg, a quality engineer for Honeywell Aerospace. They both will fight in a closed primary because Daniel John Matthews of Tampa, who says he works for a company called Cats on Deck, earned a spot as a write-in candidate. That means only Republicans will likely choose who represents House District 64.

Dan Raulerson, R-Plant City, won’t need a primary, but he will have to appear on the ballot after he received a write-in challenge from Jose Vazquez Figueroa, a self-employed Tampa resident.

Also getting a write-in challenge is Sen. Tom Lee, R-Brandon, who attracted two opponents, Brandon Thebeau and Steven Warren, although neither will be listed on the ballot.

Rep. Mark Danish, D-Tampa, qualified for his race against Republican challenger Shawn Harrison. Voters in House District 63 will choose between them in November.

Published June 25, 2014

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Altman officially files for school board re-election

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The District 1 seat for the Pasco County School Board finally has a candidate … and it’s the incumbent, Allen Altman.

Altman, whose district includes primarily schools in eastern Pasco County — including Zephyrhills, Wesley Chapel and Pasco high schools — made his re-election campaign official Wednesday.

Three school board seats are up for grabs this election cycle, with Cynthia Armstrong the lone candidate for her District 3 seat, and Marc Yacht challenging Steve Luikart for his district on the west side of the county.

Altman ran unopposed four years ago, raising $22,000. He originally won the seat in 2006, beating Cathi Compton and Willie Broner Jr., out-raising both $112,000 to $36,000.

Altman is an agent with Pasco County Farm Bureau Insurance, which maintains a local office at U.S. 301 in Dade City.

Candidates have until June 20 to qualify.

Maintenance costs could drown Hercules pool for good

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Another summer without the Hercules Aquatic Center is coming to a close, and yet the future of this once vibrant public swimming pool park is still dried up.

Pasco County Schools, which owns the nearly 16 acres, wants to figure it out, and they’ve enlisted the Zephyrhills City Council to help them. But coming to a consensus may prove more difficult than either side realized.

“We do have to be realistic,” Council President Lance Smith said during the council’s regular Aug. 26 meeting.  “It’s a loser — financially — but it does provide a service that is needed. And the question is, at what cost do we feel that we can provide it?”

Jim Drumm
Jim Drumm

Pasco County leased the property from the school district for nearly two decades, maintaining a large public swimming pool there. However, budget cuts in 2009 forced the county out, threatening to close the park, which is located on the corner of US 301 and CR 54.

The Zephyrhills Police Athletic League kept Hercules open in 2010, but didn’t return after that. The main problem was the cost to maintain the facilities, estimated at just north of $100,000.

Even if Zephyrhills decided to lease the property from the school board and reopen the park, there are some other obstacles in the way.

First, the county has plans to widen CR 54, which is going to force both the park and its immediate neighbor to the east, Zephyrhills High School, to give up some land. That means the school’s baseball fields and some of the parking lot to its outdoor athletics complex would need to be reconfigured, possibly taking some of the land where Hercules is now.

On top of that, the school board wants to cash in on part of the land, namely the piece that sits directly on the corner of US 301 and CR 54, which could be sold to build a potential gas station there.

“We are being asked to give up the most attractive and profitable piece of property and really push it to be a gas station,” said Councilwoman Jodi Wilkeson. “But it’s either that or do nothing, right?”

School district officials have mentioned turning Hercules into a maintenance facility for its area schools, and anything that happens to the westernmost piece of the property would still have to go in front of the council for rezoning, City Manager Jim Drumm said. If the city wanted to control that piece, it may have to cough up at least $1.2 million, which is about $1 million more than what the city even has on hand to deal with parks.

Allen Altman, who represents the Zephyrhills area on the Pasco County School Board, encouraged city officials to work with the school district on creating something the entire community can enjoy at Hercules Park.

“One of the things I have pushed for since I was elected was for us to participate with other governments as much as possible,” Altman said. “It cuts down on replication and provides as much savings and benefits to the taxpayer as possible.”

Altman acknowledged that the school board was exploring all possibilities with the land, including a potential sale of a portion of it, but he’s confident both governments can develop the best plan for both.

“It’s a beautiful piece of property,” Councilman Kenneth Compton said. “Talk about one of the best pieces of property, and that’s it. Just see this beautifully treed area, and then I just envision a gas station. I don’t know if I like that.”