The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

New Port Richey

Moore tops $100,000, makes district race most expensive

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With just days before voters will choose just one of three candidates to represent the Republican ticket in the Pasco County Commission District 2 race, Mike Moore will clearly take the fundraising title after a final push this week put him over $100,000.

Mike Moore is a Wesley Chapel-based entrepreneur that says he can bring his business experience to the Pasco County Commission. He faces a primary against Ken Littlefield and Bob Robertson in an effort to succeed the retiring Pat Mulieri on the commission. (Courtesy of Mike Moore)
Mike Moore

Combined with the efforts of fellow Republicans Ken Littlefield and Bob Robertson, the three candidates have raised $134,348, already making it the most expensive District 2 race in the past decade. It tops the $121,111 raised in the 2006 election, and the $116,669 collected in 2010 — both won by Pat Mulieri. And those numbers included the general election.

Moore goes into the primary election day with just under $103,400, picking up $4,400 between Aug. 9 and Aug. 21. That includes $1,000 from the political action committee HCA West Florida Division, and $1,500 from Orsi Development and Springfield Homes in New Port Richey.

In all, Moore has spent just under $100,000 of that, with less than 45 percent of those funds — or $44,376 — staying inside Pasco County. Moore spent nearly $50,000 on advertising, all but nearly $3,000 of it, however, with a Ponte Vedra Beach company called Majority Strategies Inc. He also spent more than $15,000 — or about 15 percent of his money — with an Odessa company called Capital Consulting.

Robertson picked up a little more than $2,000 in his final two weeks of campaigning ahead of the primary, bringing his total to just under $15,600. That includes $500 each from Dobies Funeral Homes in Holiday, as well as listed Tampa property manager Lloyd Riales and also Eric Gilbertson, a volunteer director with the Samaritan Project of Zephyrhills.

Bob Robertson has stayed closely involved in the community, and wants to continue being the public advocate Pat Mulieri was on the board. In fact, the Zephyrhills financial analyst earned an endorsement from Mulieri heading into the Aug. 26 primary. (Courtesy of Bob Robertson)
Bob Robertson

Robertson has spent $14,270 of those funds, half of it locally. However, business cards and signs, among other things, were purchased outside the county — and sometimes the state — including $921 to a Texas company called Signs on the Cheap, and just under $2,300 to Delivery Signs of Orlando. Robertson, however, did do social media and other work locally with the Wesley Chapel company The Busy Buddy to the tune of $1,155.

When it came to advertising, Robertson spent far less than Moore, just $233, or less than 2 percent of his total expenditures.

Despite Friday being the deadline for final primary campaign reports, Littlefield did not file his financials by 6 p.m. with the Pasco County supervisor of elections office. Before that, he had raised $10,450 — about half of what he did four years before in his primary against Mulieri. That includes about $7,600 Littlefield put in of his own money, and not including about $9,000 in a listed in-kind donation on his own behalf for what he said was printing and postage.

Ken Littlefield, during his years as a state lawmaker, giving a speech on the floor of the state House in Tallahassee. Littlefield wants to continue serving government at the Pasco County Commission. (Courtesy of Florida House)
Ken Littlefield

Littlefield spent $10,300, with 57 percent — or $4,967 — taking place locally. Most of his non-local spending was done through Gulf Coast Imprinting in Largo.

After being asked by The Laker/Lutz News about why there was a delay in filing, Littlefield said via email that he was just getting home from work, and planned to file “after dinner.”

Republican voters will have a chance to choose from among the three candidates Aug. 26. The winner will face Democrat Erika Remsberg in the general election.

‘Concept College’ helps make college dreams a reality in Pasco County

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In some Pasco County families, attending college after graduating high school is almost a given. There’s money, opportunity and plenty of options for a student to continue their education.

But in others, college seems like a far-fetched dream. Even before they graduate high school, those students know that the opportunity isn’t there, and that makes it hard to focus on good grades and pursuing whatever options might exist.

Lauren Rowold, a Sunlake High School graduate who is registered for classes at Pasco-Hernando State College later this month, credits the school’s Concept College program for answering questions and making the transition to college easier. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
Lauren Rowold, a Sunlake High School graduate who is registered for classes at Pasco-Hernando State College later this month, credits the school’s Concept College program for answering questions and making the transition to college easier.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

“Their parents are like, ‘Well, we don’t have money for this,’ so they’re like OK, there’s no point,” said Lauren Rowold, who graduated from Sunlake High School earlier this year.

Rowold wasn’t one of the students who had given up hope. Unlike some of her peers, she made sure her senior year was spent getting her grades up and preparing for a college career. She also took part in Concept College, a program implemented by Pasco-Hernando State College, designed to help at-risk youth and disadvantaged high school students explore and obtain college opportunities.

Rowold was one of about 600 students per year who participate in the program, which takes them on campus, gives them a firsthand look at college life, answers questions, helps with applications, and explores scholarship opportunities.

Concept College provides some optimism for young people who think college is beyond their grasp, said Maria Hixon, PHSC’s director of development.

“This is really targeting students who need assistance to help make them believe that college is possible for them,” Hixon said. “Sometimes without that direct outreach and personal attention, they kind of fall through the cracks.”

Guidance counselors at the high school level identify juniors and seniors who might be in danger of falling through those cracks and could benefit from the program. Students who are disabled, pregnant, or have discipline problems or economic disadvantages, are among those who might qualify. An advisor from the college then visits the high school to provide confidence-building exercises, and those who join the program schedule a visit to either the Dade City or New Port Richey campus that normally lasts more than two hours.

On campus, students tour the school, ask questions and take assessment tests. They also learn about the admissions process, degree paths and financial aid.

Concept College also helps students take their first steps toward attending college, HIxon said. The program helps them with the application process, including paying their $25 application fee. It’s a small amount, but it can make a difference, she said.

That’s not the only financial assistance, however. Participants can apply for scholarships, which vary each year based on how many students enroll and apply, and how much financial support the program gets.

The dollar amount usually ranges between $500 and $1,000 per year, Hixon said. At a school where a 12-credit, full-time schedule costs around $1,100, it can make a transition into college smoother for those who see the cost as a significant obstacle.

Over the years, the program has reached every high school in Pasco County and a couple in Hernando County as well. And it’s all done on a budget of around $10,000 per year.

The program relies on private donations to keep going, Hixon said, with Wells Fargo and the Tampa Bay Rays standing out as major contributors this year. The baseball team presented the school with a $5,000 donation this summer as part of their Rays Baseball Foundation Community Grant Program.

“For what it costs, we do a lot with very little, and it yields a lot of impact for the students,” Hixon said. “It’s a wonderful program.”

And Rowold agrees. After participating in Concept College, she enrolled at PHSC, and will begin pursuit of her associate’s degree in just a couple of weeks. After graduation she plans to enter the medical field.

The program was helpful, Rowold said, and could impact even more students by reaching them earlier so they can be motivated to improve their grades and prepare for a chance they didn’t know they had.

And while she’s excited about starting college, she’s not really nervous. Rowold said she was prepared well by Concept College, and everything was explained to her before she enrolled.

“It answered all my questions,” Rowold said. “I always had questions about it, but I didn’t know who to ask. I felt like I learned a lot.”

Published August 20, 2014

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County plans meetings highlighting flood issues

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What does Pasco County have to do better to help save lives and property in the event of a catastrophic flood?

That’s what officials want to know as they look to update their local mitigation strategy — an assessment of hazard vulnerabilities faced by property owners and residents. The meetings include discussion on how communities can better mitigate against flooding hazards to not only protect people and what they own, but also to help expedite post-disaster recovery.

Florida’s Division of Emergency Management as well as the Federal Emergency Management Agency will approve plans that will open municipalities like Pasco to receive grants that could pay for mitigation projects like improving stormwater management capabilities, buyout of properties repeatedly flooded, and other property and infrastructure improvements.

The first meeting is set for Aug. 25 beginning at 1:30 p.m. at the Land O’ Lakes Community Recreation Center, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. On the agenda for that gathering is the mitigation strategy itself as well as the National Flood Insurance Program, the community rating system, the hazard vulnerability assessment, and the county’s coordination with other community plans.

The Hugh Embry Branch Library, 14215 Fourth St., in Dade City, will host its own meeting Sept. 5 beginning at 1:30 p.m., which will include a review of the current mitigation activities, and to draft an action plan.

Other meetings are scheduled for Aug. 28 at the Pasco County Emergency Operations Center in New Port Richey, and Sept. 10 at the South Holiday Branch Library in Holiday.

To read more about the county’s local mitigation strategy, click here. Questions or comments should be directed to the county’s emergency management office at (727) 847-8137, or email Barbara Spaulding at .

Bilirakis to host veterans town hall

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U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis is planning a town hall meeting to have what he is calling a “candid conversation” with veterans the general public about the potential of a new consolidated Veterans Affairs clinic in Pasco County.

The meeting is set for Aug. 27 at 5:30 p.m., at the West Pasco Government Center, 8731 Citizens Drive in New Port Richey.

“I have spent the past several years fighting for a new consolidated clinic in Pasco County,” Bilirakis said, in a release. “Our veterans deserve the absolute best health care possible, and consolidation of the five VA clinics will enhance the accessibility to a centralized and convenient point of care.”

President Obama signed H.R. 2320 into law which created the new VA clinic for the county. However, the fate of where it will be located is up to VA officials. Yet, Bilirakis said he feels it’s his duty to “solicit opinions from veterans and their families from within our community. This clinic is for them, and their considerations should be taken into account.”

Bilirakis hosted a town hall meeting for veterans in June at the New Port Richey city council chambers, listening to concerns people had with VA hospitals.

Gates might be a problem at new Seven Oaks subdivision

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A new townhouse community planned for Wesley Chapel’s Seven Oaks subdivision is struggling to keep the neighborhood gated.

Pasco County officials have recommended denying a request by The Ryland Group to allow for two gated access points to a planned 96-unit community near the intersection of Stockton Drive and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard. The problem, they say, is that there isn’t enough room to accommodate a line of cars.

County ordinance requires there be at least 75 feet of space from a sidewalk to a community’s gated entrance, enough to fit three cars. However, because of the unusual layout design of the property where Seven Oaks Ryland Townhomes is planned, it can only provide enough space to accommodate two cars. The rule, officials said, ensures there is enough room for a small line of cars, without blocking sidewalks and roads.

“Significant queues could develop behind visitors waiting to be ‘buzzed in,'” county development review manager Amanda Boone wrote in a memo to the Development Review Committee, which is scheduled to hear the request Aug. 21 in New Port Richey. “Furthermore, if visitors are unable to reach the resident they are visiting, they may be unable to move from the service position at the gate due to vehicle queuing behind them.”

The plan would have provided for two entrances into the community, one from Stockton Drive, the other from Eagleston Boulevard. Only the entrance at Stockton would provide visitor access, but even a resident-only entrance at Eagleston created concern from county officials. That’s because it would only have enough room to hold one vehicle, and any additional vehicles would block pedestrian pathways.

Developers will have a chance to plead their case in front of the Development Review Committee, which will meet in the county commission chambers at 8731 Citizens Drive in New Port Richey on Aug. 21, beginning at 1:30 p.m. The committee is led by county administrator Michele Baker, and includes assistant county administrators Heather Grimes, Cathy Pearson and Bruce Kennedy, as well as John Walsh from the Pasco Economic Development Council and Chris Williams from Pasco County Schools.

As a new school year begins, be sure kids can hear teachers

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A child’s hearing difficulties are not always easy to spot.

That’s why volunteers like Alice Jones of Zephyrhills can play such an important role in a child’s life.

Alice Jones, of Zephyrhills, recently was honored for her volunteer work for the Sertoma Speech & Hearing Foundation of Florida. She conducts hearing tests at various Pasco County schools, to help detect hearing loss in children. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Alice Jones, of Zephyrhills, recently was honored for her volunteer work for the Sertoma Speech & Hearing Foundation of Florida. She conducts hearing tests at various Pasco County schools, to help detect hearing loss in children.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

Jones — recently named Sertoma Speech & Hearing Foundation of Florida’s volunteer of the month — has spent the past several years traveling to various Pasco County schools to conduct hearing tests for children.

The 76-year-old goes to schools within roughly a 20-mile radius of her home, sitting with children who are wearing earphones, and asking them if they can hear the sounds coming through the wires. When they can’t, Sertoma lets the school know, so they can inform the child’s parent.

Most of the time the youngsters can hear. But when they can’t, there are places where they can plug in for help, said Barbra Antonelli, an audiologist at the New Port Richey site for All Children’s Outpatient Care Center of Pasco.

Children can be born with hearing loss or it sometimes develops as they grow older, said Judith Reese, an audiologist at JC Audiology in Lutz. Federal law requires screening of infants. That typically occurs before the baby leaves the hospital, or during a follow-up visit soon after.

Some Pasco County public schools have staff members who conduct hearing screenings, but others use volunteers to do the checks. Sertoma volunteers, like Jones, conduct hearing tests for kindergarten, first- and sixth-graders in Pasco County public schools.

The organization always is looking for more help, Jones added. She got involved because a member of the Zephyrhills Noon Rotary Club asked members to volunteer.

Schools where Jones has helped out over the years include Connerton Elementary School in Land O’ Lakes, Veterans Elementary School in Wesley Chapel, West Zephyrhills Elementary and Stewart Middle schools in Zephyrhills, and Pasco Elementary and Pasco Middle schools in Dade City.

There are various causes of hearing loss, Reese said.

“One of the things that happens most often in children is a temporary hearing loss that is due to ear infections or even a build up of fluid in the ear,” Reese said. “Those are easily treated by medical professionals.”

Early detection is important.

“We really like to catch them early because you can have significant delays in speech and language, even if somebody has an ear infection for just a few months,” Reese said. “When they’re developing their speech and language, it can have a big impact on the child.”

Infants who are not startled by loud sounds may have a hearing loss, Antonelli said. If they don’t respond to their name or a dog barking, that may also be another sign.

Sometimes the problem is not obvious, Reese said.

Typically, if a child has an ear infection, parents become aware of it because it hurts.

“So, they’re crying or their ears are real red,” Reese said. “But if it’s just a build up of fluid, they may kind of just disengage, or tug at their ear.”

But sometimes fluid inside the ear doesn’t hurt, but is hindering a child’s hearing. In a case like that, a parent may think that their child is refusing to behave, or lagging behind in school because they’re not trying, Reese said. In fact, it may be that the child didn’t hear his parents or teacher, or didn’t hear them accurately.

It’s not just a matter of hearing sound, Reese explained. It’s also a matter of processing it properly.

Some signs that children may have a hearing loss include errors in articulation, Antonelli said. It also may seem that children don’t listen well or have trouble following directions. Or, they may want the volume on the television turned up.

When children don’t get help, they can experience academic and social difficulties.

If the hearing loss is spotted early, though, those problems can be avoided. Even newborns can be fitted with hearing aids, Antonelli said.

“Basically, they’ll never fall behind,” she said.

For more information, call Sertoma at (727) 834-5479, or visit FamilyHearingHelp.org.

Hearing loss symptoms and getting help

Hearing loss can happen when any part of the ear is not working properly, including the outer ear, middle ear, inner ear, acoustic nerve and auditory system, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The losses can vary greatly and can be due to a number of causes, the CDC says.

Here are some facts from the CDC to help you learn more about symptoms of hearing loss and what to do when they appear.

Signs in babies
• They do not startle at loud noises
• They do not turn to the source of a sound after 6 months of age
• They do not say single words, such as “dada” or “mama” by 1 year of age
• They turn their heads when they see you, but not if you just call their name
• They seem to hear some sounds but not others

Signs in Children
• Speech is delayed
• Speech is not clear
• They do not follow directions
• They often say, “Huh?”
• They turn the television up too high

The signs and symptoms of hearing loss are different for each child. If you think that a child might have hearing loss, ask the child’s doctor for a hearing screening as soon as possible.

Published August 13, 2014

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Rock lives again as Stonegrey takes local stage

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Guns N’ Roses. Pearl Jam. Nirvana.

For music lovers in their 30s or 40s, these were bands that helped define a generation, and continue to influence rock to this day. And that’s precisely where the members of the local rock revival band Stonegrey draw their inspiration.

Stonegrey is inspired by 1990s rock bands like Pearl Jam, Guns N’ Roses and even a hint of the grunge style of Nirvana. (Courtesy of Terri Dusek)
Stonegrey is inspired by 1990s rock bands like Pearl Jam, Guns N’ Roses and even a hint of the grunge style of Nirvana.
(Courtesy of Terri Dusek)

Except there’s one thing the musicians behind Stonegrey may have forgotten to mention: Those inspirational bands had their heyday before these young rockers were even born.

The oldest members of the Land O’ Lakes-based band — lead singer Eric Whitener and drummer Tyler Dusek — are just 20 years old. Tyler’s brother, guitarist Tristan Dusek, is a recent Land O’ Lakes High School graduate and is 18, while bass player Nick Mitchell is the youngest at 17.

“The biggest challenge we face out there is how young we are,” said Whitener, who works a day job as a marketer for Magical Butter, a food company in New Port Richey. “We get up there on stage, and at first it looks like just some kids playing. But when we get off the stage, they are usually in awe, and that’s when they start taking us seriously.”

The band formed in 2010, playing mostly cover songs in smaller venues under the name Culprit. Before long, however, the band made some changes to both some of its members and its name — Stonegrey — and started to focus more on original music.

They self-produced an album with songs like “Rearview,” “Hold On” and “Leave Me Bleeding.” They practice in a spare room at the Dusek house in Land O’ Lakes, surrounded by pictures of the band on stage, sound equipment, and a life-size cutout of former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Saul “Slash” Hudson in the corner.

Jay and Terri Dusek never tell the boys to hold the music down. In fact, they’re the first to make them crank it up. The Duseks along with Angela Whitener and other parents, have been tireless supporters of their children. They’re at nearly every show, help fund new projects, and are their ambassadors out in the community.

Terri Dusek, a Realtor who currently is the Central Pasco honorary mayor, is always sharing the band’s music and show dates with nearly everyone she sees.

The band’s approach, however, practically markets itself. But that’s because all the attention is on the music, and not gimmicks, popular with many recording artists today, the members said.

“It’s not that we don’t like mainstream music,” Tyler Dusek said. “The thing that we try to do is take what we feel is good about what’s going on, and ignore what we feel is not good, and make it into something that is different. And let’s be honest, something is ‘hipster’ because no one has ever heard of it. We don’t want to be something that people never heard of.”

Performers like Miley Cyrus try to get attention with antics both on- and off-stage.

“Are they really performing music, or are they just putting on a show for entertainment purposes?” Tristan Dusek asked. “We just play music. As far as gimmicks go, we have light boxes we stand on, and then there’s our hair, but we don’t do anything that overpowers anyone.”

Oh, that’s right. The hair.

The first thing many fans notice is the long hair both Whitener and Tristan Dusek sport. It sets the mood for the style of music Stonegrey plays, but it’s also one of the many things people remember when they think of the band.

Despite what anyone might think, Tristan says his curls are natural. His brother Tyler decided it was time to grow out his hair, and in just a couple months, he may have to deal with the same thing.

Although some band members might stand out more than others, everything Stonegrey does is a group effort. Everyone takes equal credit for all the work the band does, including songwriting.

“It’s all 25 percent each, no matter what,” Whitener said. “Just like with Tyler, if he doesn’t like a drum part, he’ll say something. If I come up with some lyrics these guys don’t like, we’ll talk about it. They might have something in their brains they like better, and we’ll at least try it.”

Upcoming shows include the highly anticipated Battle of the Bands at the Ritz Ybor on Aug. 30, as well as a set at Hogan’s Beach in Tampa’s Rocky Pointe on Sept. 18.

Yet, Stonegrey still enjoys the local hometown crowds that have supported them from the beginning, playing at the Beef O’ Brady’s at Lake Wilderness.

“Personally, I don’t care how much money we make, and I don’t care how famous we are in the public eye,” Mitchell said. “I just want to get a chance to do what I love in front of people who appreciate what I am doing.”

Find music from Stonegrey’s first album on Apple’s iTunes Store by visiting tinyurl.com/StonegreyAlbum. Get a look at a music video for the song “Stop Me” in this YouTube clip at tinyurl.com/StonegreyVid. And learn more about upcoming shows from the band’s website at StonegreyBand.com.

Published August 13, 2014

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Wilson depending on divine hand in re-election quest

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God is in control. At least that’s what Henry Wilson Jr., believes when it comes to his campaign to keep his seat on the Pasco County Commission.

But then again, it was probably only God that could’ve got him in that seat in the first place.

Henry Wilson Jr., has faith, and a lot of it, that he will get another four years on the Pasco County Commission. And he’ll find out after the open primary set for Aug. 26. (Courtesy of OurTownFla.com)
Henry Wilson Jr., has faith, and a lot of it, that he will get another four years on the Pasco County Commission. And he’ll find out after the open primary set for Aug. 26.
(Courtesy of OurTownFla.com)

Few people were looking at the District 4 commission race in 2010 when the last remaining Democratic commissioner, Michael Cox, appeared to be on his way to a comfortable re-election win. He had amassed nearly $163,000 — double that of the second highest fundraiser, Pat Mulieri — easily dwarfing the $8,700 and some change Wilson put together.

Yet, it was an election probably best described as a miracle. Wilson won by more than 6,000 votes, and took over Cox’s chair a short time later.

“My faith has kept my actions in check,” Wilson said. “I know that God is in control of my campaign, and that he knows the results already. I sleep well at night, knowing that I make decisions for what’s best for the county as a whole.”

And Wilson hasn’t been afraid to go against the grain. His vote was just enough last year to kill an increase in the local gas tax that commissioners say would’ve helped fund road maintenance and construction. And he’s been one of the strongest voices in his efforts to streamline the private companies going through neighborhoods collecting trash.

In the upcoming budget cycle, commissioners are faced with the question of how they are going to pay for a hugely underfunded streets and roads department. Solutions have included charging up to a nickel more in taxes per gallon at the gas pump, or an increase in property taxes, to raise the needed $8 million extra. Wilson, however, isn’t interested in either.

“We built roads over the last 30 years, and never had the operations or the budget to maintain those roads,” Wilson said. “What I’ve talked about is looking at the real estate transfer fee, the doc stamp tax. There is a fund in Tallahassee with $20 million in it that we would split with the school board. All we have to do is have the Legislature change two sentences in the law that manages it.”

One of those sentences is on what the county can spend the money, collected each time a piece of land changes hands. Critics have said it would raid money earmarked for affordable housing.

“Right now, we don’t need more affordable housing,” Wilson said. “A lot of our community development is funded by federal funds already. We need to have the option to use those dollars for roads instead of affordable housing.”

Those road projects would not include the more than 500 miles of dirt roads in the county, which right now are only paved after homeowners along those roads are hit with special paving assessments.

“The people who live on the dirt roads like the dirt roads,” Wilson said. “At least the ones who have come talked to me about it say they live on dirt roads for a reason.”

Maintaining a dirt road is more expensive than paving a road, Wilson said. Yet, if residents like the road, they shouldn’t have to be compelled to pave it.

Plus, there is no money for paving dirt roads anyway.

“Right now, there is no other option on the table to pay for it except with a paving assessment,” Wilson said.

Although taxes are expected to hold steady for the most part this coming year, Wilson believes it’s only a matter of time before some tough choices have to be made.

“When I ran four years ago, I said the millage rate was too low to maintain the current level of service we’re at,” he said. “We can only tread water for so long.”

Parks and libraries are being hit the most from a reduced budget, Wilson said.

“Those are quality of life issues we need in order to grow as a community,” he said. “We want services, but we also have to realize that somebody is going to have to pay for them.”

HENRY WILSON JR.
Republican candidate for Pasco County Commission, District 4

OCCUPATION
Pasco County commissioner

ELECTED OFFICE
Pasco County Commission, 2010

FAMILY
Rita Wilson, wife
Christopher Wilson, son
Cailin Wilson, daughter

RESIDENCE
New Port Richey, 32 years

FUNDRAISING
through Aug. 1
$36,515

Published August 13, 2014

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New schools, new programs on tap for 2014-15 school year

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The days of relatively easy rush-hour commutes are approaching an end as students, teachers and other employees gear up for a new school year.

Students in Pasco County Schools begin the 2014-15 school year on Aug. 18, and Hillsborough County public schools begin classes a day later.

These children arrive at school at Quail Hollow Elementary School on the last day the school had classes before closing down for renovation. Quail Hollow is slated to open in the 2015-16 school year. (File Photo)
These children arrive at school at Quail Hollow Elementary School on the last day the school had classes before closing down for renovation. Quail Hollow is slated to open in the 2015-16 school year.
(File Photo)

Wiregrass Ranch High School already is urging students and parents to give themselves ample time to arrive.

“Traffic in the morning is always busy,” Robyn White, the school’s principal, noted on the Wiregrass Ranch website. “With 40 buses arriving, 500 student drivers, 200 employees and hundreds of parents driving to school, you must arrive early to prevent being late to school.”

If that’s the scene at just one school, imagine how it will play out across two massive school districts.

In addition to traffic generated by Hillsborough and Pasco public schools, there also are thousands of students in both counties attending private schools and charter schools, including Academy at the Lakes, Land O’ Lakes Christian School, Countryside Montessori, The Reading Corner, Learning Gate Community School, Imagine School and Academy at the Farm, just to name a few.

The traffic jams will begin in earnest when students return to classes, but the volume will pick up a bit earlier as teachers and other school employees begin reporting back to work to get ready for another year.

Many parents are already hitting the malls, discount stores and local shops to buy their kids new school clothes and supplies for the coming year. Parents who want to be in the know should check their school’s website to make sure they are getting the supplies that their kids will need. Most websites offer a list of supplies that differentiates between grade levels.

Parents also can benefit from attending “meet the teacher” day at elementary schools and orientation sessions for older students to get a better feel for their child’s campus and the school’s rules. Again, all that information is available on schools’ websites.

The coming school year is ushering in new educational options for students in both school districts. Pepin Academies has a new public charter school in New Port Richey that will serve students with special learning needs throughout Pasco County.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the county, Darby Christian Academy in Dade City will offer a community school model, based on a biblical worldview. That school, a ministry of Darby Community Church at 14745 Bellamy Brothers Road, offers instruction for kindergarten through 10th-graders.

Stewart Middle School and Zephyrhills High School are adding The Infinity Academy, a program that blends online instruction with classroom learning to give students the chance to quickly move through material they master, but spend more time on lessons that cause them to struggle.

Both schools also are offering a program called AVID, which stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination. At Zephyrhills High, AVID will be available for 60 incoming ninth-graders who will take it as an elective. The class will focus on organizational skills, text coding, reading and writing coaching, and math and science tutorials.

At Stewart, the AVID elective will be offered for students in grades six through eight.

In Hillsborough County, the public charter Lutz Preparatory School has added a middle school. This year, the school will serve sixth- and seventh-graders. Next year, it intends to add eighth grade.

Three elementary schools in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area have new principals.

Claudia Steinacker will lead Cox Elementary School, and Christina Twardosz is at the helm of Centennial Elementary School, both in Dade City. Gretchen Rudolph-Fladd is the new principal at Veterans Elementary School in Wesley Chapel.

This school year also signals the first full year of operation for Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, a new satellite of Pasco-Hernando State College.

The college campus is next door to Wiregrass Ranch High and not far from Wesley Chapel High School, which is expected to lead to enhanced educational opportunities for the high school students and to give the college a chance to recruit more future students.

Pasco County Schools Calendar 2014-15
Aug. 18 — Students’ first day
Sep. 1 — Labor Day
Oct. 20 — Teacher planning day
Oct. 27— Report card distribution
Nov. 24-28 — Thanksgiving break
Dec. 22-Jan. 2 — Winter break
Jan. 5 — Teacher planning day
Jan. 12 — Report card distribution
Jan. 19 — Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Feb. 16 — President’s Day
March 16-20 — Spring break
March 23 — Teacher planning day
March 30 — Report card distribution
April 3 — Non-student day
May 20 — Seniors’ last day
May 25 — Memorial Day
June 3 — Students’ last day
June 11 — Final report card distribution

Hillsborough County Schools Calendar 2014-15
Aug. 19 — Students’ first day
Sept. 1 — Labor Day
Oct. 20 — Teacher planning day
Nov. 3 — Elementary report card distribution
Nov. 7 — Secondary report card distribution
Nov. 11 — Veterans Day
Nov. 24-28 — Fall break
Dec. 22-Jan. 2 — Winter break
Jan. 19 — Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Jan. 20 — Non-student day
Feb. 2 — Elementary report card distribution
Feb. 10 — Secondary report card distribution
March 9–13 — Spring break
March 16 — Student’s return to school
April 3 — Non-student day
April 13 — Elementary report card distribution
April 17 — Secondary report card distribution
May 25 — Memorial Day
June 5 — Elementary report card distribution
June 5 — Last day of school
June 12 — Secondary report card distribution

– Compiled by Ashley Schrader

Published August 6, 2014

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County’s vo-tech program needs some TLC, Luikart says

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After spending decades as a teacher and administrator in Pasco County Schools, Steve Luikart was ready to enjoy retirement. That is, until a letter to the editor in an area newspaper caught the attention of his wife, Nancy, and his life would never be the same.

Steve Luikart feels he’s earned another term on the school board, especially since there’s still much work to do on the district’s vocational technical program. (Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)
Steve Luikart feels he’s earned another term on the school board, especially since there’s still much work to do on the district’s vocational technical program.
(Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

“The letter writer wanted to know when someone with the background and experience in the school system would run for the school board,” Luikart said. “My wife got me up at 5:30 that morning and made me read it. ‘Do you know what I’m saying?’ she asked me. I said, ‘Yes, I do.’”

Later that week, Luikart was in the supervisor of elections office, filing paperwork to run for school board, a seat he won in 2010 with 45 percent of the vote in a three-person race. Since then, Luikart has called himself a representative of the men and women who work in the school system, providing a voice he says they may not have otherwise.

“I know how the teachers feel, and how the custodians feel, and how the cafeteria and support staff feel,” he said. “I have worked with all those folks for so long, I can bring a different perspective when some of these things come up” on the board.

Luikart championed the opening of health clinics across the county that he said not only helps keep employees healthy, but saves the school district money in medical costs. Luikart also pushed for a program led by England’s University of Cambridge that provides accelerated methods of academic study, as well as an aeronautics program at Sunlake High School.

“One of my main goals, if I’m re-elected, is to look at our vocational technical programs and get more involved,” Luikart said. “I want to find out more what the students and the community need, because we need to be able to train our students who are not going on to college, and who are not getting higher paid jobs coming out of high school.”

The vo-tech programs have been something close to Luikart’s heart in his more than three decades as an educator. He was a second-generation graduate of Gulf High School in New Port Richey, and returned to the high school after college to become an educator.

Luikart’s first job was as a work experience coordinator and he focused on freshmen who were at high risk of eventually dropping out of school. He would work with them to make sure they had the necessary life skills to succeed on their own, including how to fill out job applications and to balance a checkbook.

“The expectation was that just about 8 (percent) to 10 percent would actually stay in school and graduate,” Luikart said. “I didn’t take what I did lightly, and my graduation rate was actually closer to 60 (percent) to 70 percent, and the state came in and adopted my curriculum elsewhere.”

Whenever Luikart travels around the country, he visits various vo-tech programs, looking for ideas. He realized in observing those programs, Pasco’s vocational technical programs are falling short.

“They are nowhere close to the levels they should be at,” he said. “We have to make sure that when these students graduate, they will get two steps in front of the average guy. We need to expand some of the programs that we’re offering.”

Luikart also wants to break out various career academies so that they are more centralized and accessible to students across the country, and not just specifically with a high school, like the culinary academy at Land O’ Lakes High School.

“If I’m at Sunlake, I have to drive over to Land O’ Lakes High School and try to enroll in it,” Luikart said. “If these academies were part of the Marchman Technical Education Center, it would become more economically viable from the district’s standpoint.”

Luikart says he wants his next four years to be like the last four on the board, and that starts with listening to everyone affected by the board’s decisions.

“I don’t rule with a heavy hand,” he said. “I rule with the people.”

STEVE LUIKART
Non-partisan candidate for Pasco County School Board, District 5

OCCUPATION
Retired administrator, Pasco County Schools

ELECTED OFFICE
Pasco County School Board, 2010

FAMILY
Nancy Luikart, wife
Steve Luikart, son
Jamie Golubeff, daughter
Shawna Luikart, daughter

RESIDENCE
New Port Richey, lifelong

FUNDRAISING
through July 25
$9,786

Published August 6, 2014

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