The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

New Port Richey

Save green while celebrating green on St. Patrick’s Day

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St. Patrick’s Day is a time to wear green and celebrate Irish ancestry. But it’s also a religious observance for many Catholics, Anglicans, Eastern Orthodox and Lutherans.

The holiday stems from the introduction of Christianity in Ireland, and March 17 is said to be the day St. Patrick died in A.D. 461. The long-running tradition of shamrocks in the holiday comes from the reported teachings of St. Patrick, who used the plant as a demonstration of the Christian Holy Trinity.

St. Patrick’s Day also comes on the tail end this year of the Jewish celebration of Purim. That weekend, which includes jokes and costumes, celebrates how King Ahasuerus’ royal vizier, Haman, was foiled in exterminating the Jews in his empire by Mordecai and adopted daughter Esther, who at the time had become queen of Persia next to Ahasuerus.

Purim has since become a day of celebration, which like St. Patrick’s Day, could include some alcohol and parties.

There are local observances of St. Patrick’s Day that might help keep some green in your wallet. The first is Pasco Kinship Care’s free family fun event at Old McMicky’s Farm in Odessa from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. today. That event includes hands-on interaction with animals, pony rides, hayride, barn maze and a lakeside lunch.

The farm is located at 9612 Crescent Drive, and those seeking information can email Larry Cooper at .

Two thrift stores also will offer discounts today to shoppers celebrating St. Patrick’s Day.

HPH Hospice thrift stores are offering a 30 percent discount on any items with a green tag today. The sale is taking place at both their 4910 Allen Road, Zephyrhills, store, as well as their 6528 Massachusetts Ave., New Port Richey, store.

Gulfside Hospice Thrift Shoppes also will offer discounts, but for them 17 percent storewide. For a list of their store locations, visit GHPPC.org.

Tallahassee meeting lays groundwork for elevated road discussion

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The State Road 54/56 corridor was the primary topic of conversation between Pasco County administrator Michele Baker and Pasco County Commission chair Jack Mariano with Florida Department of Transportation secretary Ananth Prasad in Tallahassee last week. And, of course, the proposed elevated toll road planned to link U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills with U.S. 19 near New Port Richey, was part of that discussion.

“This is a very unique opportunity for Pasco County,” Prasad said in a release. “It’s not every day that a private company offers to come in and design, construct and maintain a new roadway with no costs to taxpayers.”

But the project is not exactly being well-received by everyone. A group of residents along the State Road 54/56 corridor have organized in recent weeks to oppose it. This, among other things, has pushed Baker to suggest public meetings discussing the proposal happen sooner rather than later.

“It is very important that we inform our residents of the projected need to address traffic congestion, and the alternatives available,” Baker said in a release.

Mariano, however, is not convinced.

“I want to make sure Secretary Prasad looks at all of our options,” he said, in a release. “Projects like the Ridge Road extension should also be brought into the discussion to help alleviate any traffic congestion on State Roads 54 and 52, and provide another hurricane evacuation route.”

A proposed extension of Ridge Road has been tied up with environmental concerns.

Although it’s not part of the official group of public meetings to introduce the elevated road concept to the public, Commissioner Kathryn Starkey is holding a town hall meeting Monday to discuss that and other planned growth development along the growing corridor. That begins at 7 p.m. at the Sunlake High School gymnasium, 3023 Sunlake Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

“This proposal has the potential to create numerous jobs for Floridians, improve traffic flow in Pasco County, and enhance economic development,” Prasad said. “However, we want to hear what the community wants to help with growing congestion in this area.”

The first official meeting is planned for March 15 at Fresh Market at Wiregrass, 28211 Paseo Drive in Wesley Chapel. That meeting begins at 10 a.m.

Commission candidates (mostly) avoid elevated toll road debate

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It’s become so controversial, even those seeking the Republican nomination for a seat on the Pasco County Commission are steering clear of it.

Bob Robertson
Bob Robertson

That is except Bob Robertson, who has a very strong position on the proposed elevated toll road for the State Road 54/56 corridor:  “This is one of those ideas that hopefully will go back to wherever it came from very, very soon.”

Robertson joined Mike Moore and former State Rep. Ken Littlefield at the Pasco Federated Republican Women’s Club monthly lunch Friday for the first debate among Republican candidates to replace Pat Mulieri on the Pasco County Commission.

Neither Littlefield nor Moore would take a stand one way or the other on the proposed 33-mile road that would connect U.S. 301 near Zephyrhills and U.S. 19 in New Port Richey. Both, however, said they were looking forward to a town hall meeting planned for Monday night by County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey where the elevated road would be at the top of the agenda.

“If we as a county are approving developments in an area that is already over-congested, I might suggest that we reconsider the process by which we are building houses and where we are building them,” Robertson said. “It’s also been suggested to us that if we don’t build this elevated toll road, there will be 10 lanes (of traffic) each way. I have a hard time seeing that.”

Robertson is likely the underdog in the District 2 race, having yet to match the money of Moore or the name recognition of Littlefield. Yet, the Zephyrhills investment assets manager wasn’t shy about where he stood when it came to the estimated $2.2 billion project that’s ultimately in the hands of the Florida Department of Transportation.

“What if the company goes bankrupt in the middle of building this project?” Robertson asked. “What if they built this toll road and nobody comes, nobody wanting to spend $7 or $8 or $9 to drive on this elevated superhighway? Then what do we do?”

The state nor the county asked for the private company bid for the toll road, and such an unsolicited bid should be treated like an unsolicited sales call, Littlefield said. Although he didn’t take a position, he also warned that even though reports are that this road would be funded privately, that may not end up being the case.

“Ain’t nothing free, folks. Ain’t nothing free,” Littlefield said. “There are a lot of red flags. There’s $2 billion that somebody wants to give to us. Why? Who are they? Do they live in Pasco? Do they live in Florida? Do they live in the United States? I want to know these things.”

Moore says the entrance to the Seven Oaks community where he lives fronts State Road 56, so he’ll be right in the line of fire. Yet, he’s not ready to go yea or nay quite yet.

“Right now, what I am doing is listening to all of you, just as I would be doing if I was sitting on the commission,” Moore said. “What other options are there, because we can’t just say no to something or just say yes to something. What are some other options?”

Starkey’s town hall meeting is March 10 beginning at 7 p.m., in the auditorium of Sunlake High School, 3023 Sunlake Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

For more on the debate, check out the March 12 print edition of The Laker.

Workshops planned for transportation, elevated toll road

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The Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization has set dates to openly discuss its various transportation plans with the public, including the proposed elevated toll road along the State Road 54/56 corridor.

The series of workshops begin March 15 at The Shops at Wiregrass, and wind up April 10 during an MPO workshop in New Port Richey.

The primary discussion is focused on the 2040 Long Range Transportation Needs Plan, the blueprint Pasco County will use to determine what kind of transportation infrastructure is needed over the next 25 years, and where and when it should be built. That plan now includes the impact of a proposed elevated toll road from International Infrastructure Partners, which would connect a 33-mile stretch between U.S. 301 near Zephyrhills with U.S. 19 in New Port Richey.

A toll feasibility study is underway right now, and part of the long-range planning will include exploring alternatives to such a road, especially other east-west roads in Pasco County like State Road 52 to the north.

The complete plan for 2040 is expected to be finished by the end of the year.

Public workshops include:

March 15, 10 a.m to 2 p.m.
Fresh Market at Wiregrass
28211 Paseo Drive, Wesley Chapel

March 25, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
West Pasco Government Center, Lobby
8731 Citizens Drive, New Port Richey

March 26, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Alice Hall Community Center
38116 Fifth Ave., Zephyrhills

March 27, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Pasco County Recreation Center
3032 Collier Parkway, Land O’ Lakes

April 10 at 10 a.m.
MPO board meeting workshop
West Pasco Government Center, BCC Board Room
8731 Citizens Drive, New Port Richey

For more information, visit www.Mobility2040Pasco.com, PascoMPO.net, or call (727) 847-8140.

Starkey to discuss elevated road at town hall

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The official public meetings surrounding the elevated toll road concept proposed for the State Road 54/56 corridor might be a month or two off, but Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey is wasting no time giving residents a voice.

Starkey is planning a town hall meeting March 10 at 7 p.m., in the Sunlake High School cafeteria. The school is located at 3023 Sunlake Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

The official announcement of the meeting doesn’t suggest topics, but published reports say the controversy over the unsolicited bid from a private company to turn existing right of way into a toll express lane will be right at the top of the agenda.

International Infrastructure Partners are pushing for the road, which would eventually stretch 33 miles between U.S. 301 near Zephyrhills to U.S. 19 in New Port Richey. The final decision on whether to allow IIP to move forward on the potential $2.2 billion project lies with the Florida Department of Transportation. However, officials at the state agency said it would not green light the project if it doesn’t have support from the community and county commissioners.

Commissioners Henry Wilson and Jack Mariano have appeared to take stands against the road, however, Starkey has been more noncommittal either way, saying she is looking to get more information before making a decision.

Opponents to the road call it unnecessary, and has the potential to stymie growth and destroy home values and businesses. Those who support it, however, say it’s needed to help handle future traffic congestion in the corridor created not just by neighboring counties, but the anticipated growth in the southern portion of Pasco County as well.

For the county’s explanation of the elevated road concept, click here.

Tax collector’s office celebrates daily gift with license plate

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For many who have had to work with hospice at some point in their lives, they know that “every day is a gift.” And the Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office will honor that commitment this week as it promotes the “Hospice: Every Day is a Gift” specialty license plate through March.

The plate benefits the Florida Hospice and Palliative Care Association, and is sponsored locally by Gulfside Hospice & Pasco Palliative Care, according to a release. Gulfside provides end-of-life care for those who have a prognosis of six months or less, as well as provide assistance for pain and symptom control with chronic illness at any age.

Purchasing the specialty tag requires a fee above the normal renewal cost for a license plate, an annual donation of $25. The tax collector’s office also is accepting cash donations beyond that to support the Florida Hospice and Palliative Care Association.

“By purchasing the hospice specialty license plate, you help create awareness and access to care and service when our Pasco County residents need it most,” said Linda Ward, president of Gulfside Hospice, in a release.

“Hospice care is a vital and extremely important service that has touched the lives of nearly every individual or family in some way,” said tax collector Mike Fasano, in a release.

Specialty tags are available to purchase at the four tax collector office locations in Pasco County: Land O’ Lakes, Dade City, New Port Richey and Gulf Harbors.

For more information, call (727) 847-8179, or visit PascoTaxes.com.

Torch arrives in Wesley Chapel for Special Olympics

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The Winter Games in Sochi have ended, but a different set of Olympic athletes are gearing up for opening ceremonies in Wesley Chapel this week.

There are many activities those who participate in Special Olympics can take part in every year, like bowling. Sam Whitacre, left, Stephanie Varnes and Andy Faulk from Wesley Chapel High School are among those students who compete at the lanes. (Photo courtesy of Bridget White)
There are many activities those who participate in Special Olympics can take part in every year, like bowling. Sam Whitacre, left, Stephanie Varnes and Andy Faulk from Wesley Chapel High School are among those students who compete at the lanes. (Photo courtesy of Bridget White)

Special Olympics competitors in a variety of sports are expected to participate in the Pasco County Summer Games on Friday at Wesley Chapel High School. The games are affiliated with Special Olympics Florida, the state’s chapter of Special Olympics Inc., which organizes athletic competitions for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Florida’s counties and regions host local games, with winners advancing to state, national or even international competitions.

Wesley Chapel will host athletes from Central and East Pasco County. West Pasco athletes will participate in games at River Ridge High School in New Port Richey.

Wesley Chapel High is ready for the games to begin, said Bridget White, a special education teacher and one of the school’s coordinators for the Special Olympics.

“We feel very honored to host this type of event, and we just love that it keeps getting bigger and bigger every year,” she said. The school has hosted the Summer Games for at least the past four years, and it expects around 475 athletes to participate this year.

That’s a big jump from when the Special Olympics first started in Pasco County decades ago, according to county co-director Valerie Lundin. In 1975, the local Special Olympics had just 175 athletes.

Between the two locations for the Summer Games this year, more than 1,100 athletes are expected to participate, and total attendance at Wesley Chapel High alone could top 1,000 when factoring in family, volunteers and other spectators. The high school was chosen to host the games due to its ability to accommodate the crowds and the buses, which bring students in from different schools.

After the opening ceremonies, athletes will start competing in the different sports represented in the Summer Games: track and field, bocce, soccer skills, cycling and tennis. There also will be an Olympic Village, with games and activities for the athletes and their friends to enjoy while they wait to compete.

While event winners will earn ribbons, it’s not necessarily the end of the competition for any of the athletes, regardless of their finish. Each competitor in the county games is allowed to participate in the area games, which includes athletes from Pasco, Pinellas, Citrus, Sumter and Hernando counties. From there, only qualifiers will move on to state competition.

The Special Olympics always has a great turnout of volunteers and supporters to help the event succeed and cheer on the participants, White said. And for the athletes, it’s a chance for them to enjoy the spotlight and showcase their skills.

“It’s an opportunity for our kids with disabilities to have something that’s all about them and that’s catered to them,” she said. “So instead of going to their brothers and sisters’ events all the time, they get to come to their events and they get to be the superstar.”

While the Special Olympics is able to consistently promote awareness and celebrate the skills of their student-athletes, Lundin would like to see the organization attract more adult participants as well. Athletes of any age are welcome.

“I know there are a lot of adults in Pasco County who qualify but are not participating at this time, and we’d love to really focus on that population and getting them more involved,” she said.

The opening ceremonies begin at 11:30 a.m., Friday at the school, located at 30651 Wells Road. The event is free and open to the public, with concessions available. Proceeds benefit Special Olympics.

For more information regarding the Summer Games or to inquire about participation, visit SpecialOlympicsFlorida.org, or call (352) 243-9536.

Published Feb. 26, 2014.

Program helps seniors get back to work

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Pasco County senior citizens who are 55 or older and have been out of work for a year or more may be able to benefit from The Experience Works Community Service Employment Program.

The program is reaching out to older residents in central and eastern Pasco County who need help getting back into the work force, said Dorothy Myles, state director for Experience Works. To be eligible, applicants must have an individual income of $14,588 year or less, or $19,663 or less for a family of two.

A limited number of slots are available, but there always is turnover as people land full-time jobs, move, or exit the program for other reasons, Myles said.

Participants work for 21 hours a week, receiving the minimum wage of $7.93 an hour. By handling community service jobs, participants can update their skills and use those new skills as a springboard to land permanent jobs.

The program also helps participants pursue jobs they are interested in, Myles said.

“We assist them. This is participant driven,” she said.

The worker indicates the kind of job they’re interested in and the program seeks to help them secure it, Myles said. Some workers who begin part-time positions are hired on to handle full-time roles by the organizations that participate in the program. There also are cases when the participating organization isn’t able to hire the employee, but can alert the worker to an opportunity elsewhere.

Besides providing opportunities for workers to enhance their skills, the program also can help them in their job search and offer referrals for other services, Myles said.

Some program participants were laid off and have been unable to find a job for more than a year, while others have been out of the workforce for years, she said. Some have encountered bias against older workers.

“We do realize, too, that there is some age discrimination out there,” Myles said.

She believes misperceptions about older workers often can be overcome when an employer is able to witness an experienced person’s work ethic in action.

The program is having an enrollment fair on Feb. 25 and Feb. 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Career Central, Room A, 4440 Grand Blvd., in New Port Richey.

For additional information, call (888) 859-1051, or visit www.ExperienceWorks.org.

An exceptional school for exceptional children opens in New Tampa

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Marilyn Davis, director of Esther’s School in New Tampa, has openings for 30 exceptional students for the 2014/15 school year (starting in August 2014). Spaces are available to early applicants beginning in March. Esther’s School specializes in children with autism, Downs’ syndrome, ADHD and other learning differences.

“Each child receives individual attention, impossible in a public school,” says Marilyn. “We have one teacher for every four or five students. Our goal is to bring every child up to their full potential.” Some of Esther’s graduates have gone on to junior college.

“After receiving a number of requests for a school in the Tampa area, we found a wonderful location with the Saint James United Methodist Church,” says Marilyn. “St. James has a strong special needs ministry serving children and adults.”

Esther’s School is a Bible-based; Christian special needs school with a full curriculum covering all subject areas from kindergarten through 12th grade. “Each child is tested for proper placement with- in the curriculum,” says Marilyn. “Every child works at their own pace.” We work closely with each child to help them grow up to lead successful, independent lives.”

EsthersSchoolEsther Berry founded Esther’s School in February 2005. With little more than an unction and great concern for the education of differently abled children, Esther’s School was launched as a private coed Judeo-Christian School in St. Petersburg, Florida. In desperation to achieve better services for her own son diagnosed with Down Syndrome, Esther Berry took on the journey and formulated a place where others could join her in gaining exceptional curriculum development, counseling and tutoring for their child struggling to cope with classes in traditional educational institutions.

Esther’s son is now 22 and living independently as a fully functional adult with a job.

With modest beginnings, servicing only two students the first year, Esther’s School currently serves 90 students in four locations. St. James in New Tampa, starting Monday, February 3rd, will be the fifth location. Esther’s husband, Chris Berry, is traveling to Panama in February to oversee the opening of their sixth school. The pastor of a church in Panama sought out Esther to help him set up a special needs school.

Marilyn has worked with Esther’s school for eight years. “We’ve had children come into our school that wouldn’t come out from under their desk,” says Marilyn. “Within the first year, they’ve moved into active participation with the rest of the class. It truly is an exceptional school.”

Tuition has not been raised in seven years. The majority of the tuition is normally covered by the McKay scholarship program or the Florida Step-up program for lower income families. Esther’s School also offers a few scholarships to help parents with costs not covered by other programs on a first come, first serve basis.

Esther is committed to helping all children to learn and grow into healthy happy adults. A few years ago, Esther was instrumental in setting up three schools in Africa for AIDS orphans.

Esther’s New Tampa school is located at St. James United Methodist Church, 16202 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. You can call Marilyn Davis directly at (813) 454-8377 for an application or further information.

The main campus is located at the New Beginnings Nazarene Church in Pinellas Park. Currently, only the main campus offers a summer school program.

Additional schools are located at the Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Seminole, 5418 Madison Street, New Port Richey, and the Christian Retreat in Bradenton. Visit their website at EstherSchool.net.

– Mike Matthew

This story is a feature of the advertising department.

Businesses can make it or break it at BizGrow 2.0

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Last year, Kellye Dash sat in the audience of BizGrow and soaked in all the advice from small business owners like herself making their way in this technology-based economy. Now, the president and chief executive of The Busy Buddy is ready to share some of her own experiences as the Pasco Economic Development Council’s annual conference gets under way.

“I started my business in 2009 while working for an IT company,” Dash said. “I wasn’t sure when I was going to pull the trigger and head out on my own, but I knew I would have to do it at some point.”

The one-day BizGrow 2.0 conference at Pasco-Hernando Community College is designed to show business owners they are not alone in the trials and tribulations of running their own business. (Photo courtesy of Summer Martin)
The one-day BizGrow 2.0 conference at Pasco-Hernando Community College is designed to show business owners they are not alone in the trials and tribulations of running their own business. (Photo courtesy of Summer Martin)

Dash designed her Wesley Chapel-based Busy Buddy to add an extra hand or two to businesses when they needed it most, providing everything from administrative work to data research and beyond.

She comes to BizGrow 2.0 at Pasco-Hernando Community College on Friday no longer attached to her old job, and now Dash hopes to share that confidence with others.

“I was working full-time, and I didn’t want to let that paycheck go,” she said. “But if you step out on your own, you really can do it, as long as you put people around you who are supportive. You may just surprise yourself.”

These are the kinds of stories BizGrow is expected to inspire once again, said organizer John Walsh, vice president of the Pasco EDC.

“The idea is to bring inspirational stories to the group so that people who are going through challenges right now of starting their own business and growing it know that other people are out there that went through it as well,” Walsh said. “But we also want to get people to network. This is a chance for like-minded people to get together, to create some strong relationships in the county, and make that happen.”

Networking can be just as important as anything else, especially when it comes to drumming up business, or even collaboration, said Amy Gleason.

As the chief operating officer of CareSync, Gleason is working to get the word out about her company’s new online application that brings a patient’s medical records together into one spot.

“It was inspired in part by my daughter who was diagnosed with a rare disease,” Gleason said. “We had a hard time managing all her health information, because it wasn’t all in one spot. There’s just no one that teaches you to be a patient, and no guidebook on how to navigate the health care system — and that’s something we really need out there.”

Many of the best product ideas come from a personal need to have them, Gleason said. But what a large number of would-be entrepreneurs suffer from are missteps in execution.

And that means paying attention to the ever-changing business world that’s out there.

“I hear a lot of people who are afraid of Twitter and don’t really understand it,” Gleason said, citing an example of tools not being properly used. “But it can be one of the most amazing sources of information. You can put one thing out there, and someone from a completely different walk of life can respond and offer you something to think about.”

It’s the ups and downs, and finding the right tools for the right job that makes BizGrow a popular destination for budding entrepreneurs, Walsh said. Especially the trials and tribulations involved in owning a business, because it’s not always easy.

“It’s not easy,” Walsh said. “It’s a commitment that will cost you 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and it might not be for everybody. If it’s not, this is the time to figure it out, before you spend a lot of time and money on the effort. Otherwise, there are opportunities here for those who are ready to embark on this path.”

If you go
BizGrow 2.0 is a conference designed to help businesses navigate in the new economy.
It takes place Nov. 8, beginning at 8:30 a.m., at the New Port Richey campus of Pasco-Hernando Community College, Building R.
Admission is $30 in advance, or $35 the day of the event.
Information: PascoEDC.com/events